Silver's Adventure
by ukrazian
Summary: This is my first story on this site, and it's about the character I invented called Silver. It's now complete after all this time, so please tell me what you think. Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, unfortunately. Thanks!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 1**

Silver sat impatiently in the living room, fully dressed in a Johto Pokemon Trainer's traditional uniform, complete with a backpack, a reversed baseball cap and trainers, despite the early time. Today was the day that he was to get his first ever Pokemon from Professor Elm. He had lived in New Bark Town all of his life, and was friendly with almost everyone in the tight-knit community, but he had always longed to travel the world with a team of Pokemon and try his best to become a Master. He tapped his foot edgily as he waited for his mother to wake up; it was the early hours of dawn, but he couldn't wait to get started. He had awoken an hour or two ago excitedly, having been almost unable to sleep, and he had dressed and breakfasted as quickly as possible to minimise delay. But he had forgotten about the unpredictable force that was his mother. Sometimes she awoke very early, other times very late. He didn't want to set off for Professor Elm's lab without saying goodbye, but was eager to get going as soon as possible. To get his mind off his own impatience, he reminisced about his life in New Bark Town. He lived alone with his mother, as his father was a Gym leader in a place called Hoenn. He rarely saw his father in the flesh, but they did of course maintain regular contact over the video-phone, so he hadn't felt as if he had missed out. He had a happy childhood in New Bark Town, and had, of course, loved everything to do with Pokemon from a very young age. His room, in fact, was adorned with posters, pictures and dolls, and his TV was permanently tuned into one Pokemon channel or another. He could hardly believe now that he was about to set off on a journey of his own, after reading and watching about Trainers both real and fictional for so many years. His ears pricked up as he heard slow footsteps and creaking stairs, and he leapt to his feet, running to the base of the staircase. His mother was walking down the stairs, bleary-eyed and wearing a dressing-gown the exact same colour as an Azumarill. With her came a Chikorita, a Pokemon which she had found abandoned at a young age and nursed back to health. It had never returned to the wild, and stayed in the home as a dual pet and helper; the leaf on its head was used to sweep floors and surfaces of dust.

"Chiko!" it squeaked, and leapt down the stairs into Silver's arms. The two of them had been the best of friends for years, and Silver knew he would miss Chikorita greatly when he left. Stroking the leaf on Chikorita's head and smiling at the satisfied squeaks this produced, Silver looked up at his mother, and said,

"I'm going to Professor Elm's lab now. I just wanted to say goodbye; I'll be back soon with my Pokemon," It thrilled him to say it, and his mother obviously knew as she smiled at his expression.

"You're certainly up early. Enjoy yourself at the lab!" she called after him, but he was already out of the door. She and Chikorita shared a look; the Pokemon was also watching Silver run up the street with a strangely sad expression. "He's finally growing up, Chikorita. He's not our baby boy anymore," she sighed, and Chikorita responded with a nod and a sage,

"Chiko," Silver skidded to a halt in front of Professor Elm's laboratory, and took a deep breath. This was it. But suddenly he saw something out of the corner of his eye; something that darted around the side of the building. Was it a Pokemon? Following curiously, he turned the corner and was immediately met by a boy of a similar age to himself, but completely different in bearing. He wore a dark top and blue trousers, and he had long, shoulder-length red hair. But Silver's attention was captivated by the boy's eyes; they were dark in hue, and seemed incredibly deep, like dungeon corridors. More than this, there was a lurking, seething mass of emotions that swirled within them; anger, jealousy, and above all bitterness.

"What do you want?" he asked aggressively; his voice was sharp and guarded, as if he suspected treachery. It took several seconds for Silver to muster a response after such a greeting.

"I... I'm here to see the Professor. I saw you out of the corner of my eye, so I followed you..." he said faltering, but with one look from the boy he retraced his steps and knocked sharply on the lab's door, eager to be away from him.

"Come in," came the Professor's voice, and Silver wrenched open the door, entering as fast as he could. The Professor was waiting behind a wooden desk, upon which were strewn-about notes, several different-coloured pens and three gleaming Pokeballs. Silver's breath caught in his throat as he spotted them, and he forgot momentarily about his encounter with the strange boy outside; the sun's weak morning light bounced off their finely-polished, red-and-white surfaces, and he could almost feel the presence of the strange and wonderful creatures that lay within. The Professor himself was relatively young and thin, with black hair and square spectacles. His enthusiasm for Pokemon was equal to Silver's, which was made obvious by the many posters and papers in the lab showing the many creatures and their attributes. Next to a computer in the corner, which was currently switched off, was a machine which healed injured Pokemon, or so Silver had heard anyway. "Have you decided upon your Pokemon yet?" Professor Elm asked excitedly.

"Not really... I'd like to see them all together, if that's OK..." Silver said, although he had a pretty good idea which one he was going to choose.

"Yes, that's fine, of course," Elm blustered, and tapping each of the Pokeballs he ejected their occupants. From the one on the left emerged the largest of the three; a strong-looking Chikorita completely different to the one that Silver knew so well. On the right was a crocodilian Pokemon with wide, happy eyes and jaws which opened and snapped shut every few seconds; unmistakably a Totodile. In the middle was a sleepy-looking fire-mouse known as Cyndaquil. It looked up at Silver and squeaked uncertainly. Now that he was face-to-face with all of them, instead of making it easier it was actually harder to choose between them. All of them looked like great Pokemon, who would be an asset to any team, but he could only choose one. None of them had any outstanding strengths or weaknesses at such a low level, especially as each one was super-effective against one of its fellows and weak against the other. But suddenly he felt Professor Elm's eyes burning into him, and he realised he would have to choose quickly. It was a potentially life-changing decision, but Professor Elm was always busy with one sort of research or another, so he always appeared to be in a hurry.

"I think I'll choose... that one," he said, pointing to the Pokemon he had selected. Professor Elm recalled the other two and pressed the final Pokeball into Silver's hand.

"Congratulations, Silver. Good luck on your journey; I really hope you'll be successful. Make sure you call every now and again! Now, if you'll excuse me..." He was obviously keen to get back to his research, so although Silver felt slightly put-out by his apparent lack of enthusiasm, he understood it.

"Come on, let's get back home," he said to his new Pokemon, which nodded and followed him as he left the lab. Back home, Chikorita paced back and forth on the windowsill as Anna, Silver's mother, ate her breakfast.

"Calm down, Chikorita. I know it's sad that he's leaving, but it isn't like we'll never see him again. I'm sure he'll phone every week to tell us all about his adventures," she said to the Pokemon, who responded with an unenthusiastic

"Chiko," Suddenly, Chikorita spotted Silver walking down the street towards them. And what was that on his shoulder? Vines sprang out of Chikorita's neck and wrapped around the front door handle, pulling the door open as the Pokemon galloped through to greet its best friend. Anna followed, stumbling slightly in her Jigglypuff slippers, and she stood in the doorway to await Silver's coming. She unexpectedly had butterflies in her stomach as she watched her son approach; however, she knew that she couldn't stop him leaving, and that whatever Pokemon he had chosen he would do well, so she did her best to ignore them. Eventually he came into focus, and she peered out with trepidation and anxiety. He looked older and more confident than she thought was possible, in his Trainer's garb and with a Pokeball clipped to his belt. Chikorita padded proudly beside him, and on his shoulder sat Cyndaquil, the Fire type. Forgetting all dignity in her sudden rush of both happiness, sadness and pride, she ran out into the street and hugged Silver tightly, not even noticing that one of her slippers had fallen off.

"Oh Silver, you look so old and handsome in that outfit and with your Pokemon beside you! I can hardly believe that just a few years ago you were hardly bigger than Chikorita... Now you're all grown up. Oh, forgive me..." she dabbed at some impromptu tears that had sprung to her eyes.

"Don't worry, Mum. I'll call you whenever I can. I'll look after myself, I promise, and I'll look after Cyndaquil too. Just promise me you won't run into the street in your dressing gown again," Silver replied, feeling tearful himself as he returned her embrace. She gave a watery chuckle.

"Come on, let's go in, then. I've got a few presents for you, just to keep you going on your journey. Don't worry, I'm already saving up money for you whenever you need it, so you'll never have cause to worry about food or a place to sleep," she said, and steered him inside. They sat at the breakfast table, pushing aside the crumb-scattered plates and half-filled glass to make room for several items that Anna retrieved from her room. Cyndaquil and Chikorita gambolled about close by, getting to know each other briefly before they became separated again. Silver was wide-eyed as he saw the array of presents that had been laid out for him. There was a compact lunchbox, full of sandwiches, fruit and crisps, that would fit perfectly into his backpack; a book entitled 'The Pokemon Master's Cookbook', which detailed many simple recipes for travelling Pokemon Trainers; a bottle of his mother's home-made lemonade, which she knew he loved; and finally a high-tech contraption that he eagerly examined. "That one's from your father, as a sorry he can't be here today. It's called a Pokegear; a phone, a watch, a radio and a map, all in one! The date and time have already been set, and both my phone number and your father's are stored in its memory," Silver pressed an almost unnoticeable button and the Pokegear unfolded, displaying a screen and several buttons. He strapped it onto wrist immediately and admired the sheen that spoke of how new it was. He beamed as he realised how jealous many of the children in New Bark Town would be if they saw he had a real Pokegear... Suddenly his trail of thought was broken as he felt a nudging on his leg. He looked down to see that Chikorita was holding up a small wrapped present on its head-leaf, and he accepted it gratefully. Pulling off the wrapping paper, he felt a badge fall into his lap, as well as a tough-skinned but juicy berry that was evidently for Cyndaquil. "Chikorita chose the badge himself, and picked the berry with his Vine Whip. He's sorry to see you go. We both are," Anna said, and Silver pinned the badge, which was in the likeness of a Master Ball, to his jacket before placing the berry in his backpack. Straightening up, he said,

"I've got to go now. The longer I stay here, the more difficult it will be. Thank you both so much for the presents. I'll return someday soon, I swear I will, and I'll be a Pokemon Master too," he bent down to Chikorita. "I'll never forget you, Chikorita. You'll always be my best friend. Don't let Mum get too complacent with the housework, OK? And make sure to keep my room warm for when I get back," Chikorita gave him a sombre nod before rubbing his face against Silver's. The vines from his neck encircled Silver in an embrace, and he hugged Chikorita back before straightening up again. "Bye, Mum. I love you. I love you too, Chikorita. Never forget that; no matter how long I'm gone, I'll always love you both," he said, and he and Cyndaquil left quickly before Anna could see him break down in tears.

"I love you too, Silver! Keep in touch!" Anna called after him, tears streaming down her face, and Chikorita cried,

"Chiko!" He resolved never to look back, no matter how hard it was; if he looked into their eyes even once again, he knew he'd never be able to leave, so he continued to run. Once the house was out of sight, Silver wiped his eyes and slowed to a walk.

"Cynda?" Cyndaquil said questioningly, rubbing up against his face. Silver sighed.

"It's just you and me now, Cyndaquil. All of Johto ahead of us... Eight Gyms, then the Indigo League," he said wistfully.

"Cyndaquil," Cyndaquil replied resolutely, and Silver knew that if the Pokemon could talk, it would have said something like, "Yes, the road ahead is long. But we can handle it together. Together, there's nothing we can't do," The two of them slowly left New Bark Town, the town of Silver's birth, and followed the beckoning sign that pointed towards Route 29. There was no going back now. The road to the Indigo League was ahead, littered with danger and hardship, but it was a road he was willing to take.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 2**

Silver and Cyndaquil were barely out of sight of New Bark Town before they were accosted by a rather official-looking man with a briefcase who looked rather hurried.

"Ah. Good morning, gentlemen," the man said quickly, and opened his briefcase to rummage around in it.

"Good morning," Silver replied warily.

"Am I to understand that you are a new Pokemon Trainer? Fresh from New Bark Town?" the man asked, not looking up from his briefcase.

"Yes, that's right," Silver replied. Was this man a rival trainer? Somehow he doubted it. But what did he want?

"Excellent. I represent Pokemon Mart, the largest chain of stores in Johto, Kanto and beyond. We can provide for all of your Pokemon needs. Here, have this Potion, free of charge, as a sample of our products. You can use it to heal an injured Pokemon after a battle," he handed a small spray-bottle object to Silver, who examined it with interest before placing it in his backpack.

"Thanks. I'll keep your shop in mind," he said to the man, and made to leave. However, the Mart representative wasn't done yet.

"If you're new to the Pokemon game, I will take the responsibility to show you how to catch Pokemon with a simple Poke-Mart Pokeball," he slapped a red-and-white ball into Silver's hand, not noticing the bewilderment on the boy's face, and then beckoned him to follow him into some long grass. "We'll likely meet some Pokemon in here," he said cheerfully, stomping around and making no effort to hide his presence. Silver stood anxiously, still clasping the Pokeball and watching the man dance around in the grass before finally slamming into a nearby tree which had sadly been unnoticed until then. As the representative saw stars, a half-asleep Hoothoot was shaken from its resting place and fell to the ground, dazed. "F... first weaken it with attacks..." the representative said weakly, stumbling away from the tree and looking in his briefcase for something to heal his own injuries. Silver looked uncertainly at the stunned Hoothoot.

"You want me to attack it when it's half asleep?" he asked.

"Half asleep's good when you're trying to catch a Pokemon. Fully asleep's preferable, of course..." the representative said, wincing as he rubbed his aching head.

"OK... Cyndaquil, use your Tackle attack!" Cyndaquil leapt off his shoulders and charged Hoothoot, knocking it backwards.

"Hit it with another Tackle, then throw the Pokeball!" the representative cried, and Cyndaquil obliged with another attack;

"Pokeball, go!" Silver cried, and hurled it at the half-conscious Hoothoot. It flipped open centimetres away from the Owl Pokemon, and a red beam encapsulated the creature before drawing it inside the ball itself. The Pokeball fell to the floor, rolling and shuddering for a few seconds before the emitter on the front stopped glowing red. The Pokeball fell still.

"Yes! Well done! You've caught a Hoothoot!" the man cheered. Silver, proud of himself, walked over and picked up the Pokeball.

"Well done, Cyndaquil. That was a great battle," he stroked Cyndaquil and recalled him into his Pokeball before holding out Hoothoot's ball for the representative.

"Hmm? No, that's your Pokemon now. You can have the Pokeball for free, don't worry about it. Well, I've got to be on my way... places to go, people to meet and all that..." the man said, and he smiled, tipped his hat and continued on his way. Silver looked incredulously at the Pokeball in his hand. He had caught another Pokemon, a Hoothoot, without even meaning to! Clipping the Pokeball to his belt, he continued on his way, feeling that the whole experience was slightly surreal. As he walked along, he checked the Pokegear's map section. He was currently on Route 29, and ahead was Cherrygrove City. It wasn't a long trek, so he should get there within an hour or so and visit the Pokemon Centre. On the way, he didn't meet a single person, but he enjoyed himself walking through the grass and navigating several steep ledges; he had always liked exploring and seeing new places. When he finally saw Cherrygrove City up ahead, he picked up his pace, but was stopped by a shout.

"Hey! You! Stop right there!" Silver turned, wondering whether he had done anything wrong, and a familiar boy ran up to him. "I saw you get a Pokemon from the lab back in New Bark Town," the red-haired boy said, "And now I have a super-powerful Pokemon too. Let's battle," It wasn't a request, it was a command.

"O... OK," Silver replied; once again he was taken aback by the boy's intensity.

"Go, Totodile!" the red-haired boy tossed a Pokeball into the air, and the exact same Totodile Silver had seen in the lab emerged.

"I didn't know you were getting a Pokemon today too. What's your name?" Silver asked suspiciously. The red-haired boy smiled oddly and tossed his locks out of his eyes.

"I'm Gold. Are we going to battle, or are you going to forfeit and save me the pleasure?" Silver began to get annoyed by the boy's aggressiveness.

"Fine. Cyndaquil, go!" Cyndaquil emerged from his Pokeball with a squeak.

"Ha! That weakling doesn't stand a chance against my Totodile. Totodile, scratch!" Gold sneered, and Totodile leapt into combat.

"Cyndaquil, dodge! Then use Tackle!" Cyndaquil ducked under Totodile's vicious swipe and charged into its belly, winding it. The flames on its back sprang into life, making Totodile shield its eyes.

"Totodile! Leer!" Totodile focused intently on Cyndaquil, and the creepiness of its gaze mirrored its Trainer's. Cyndaquil quailed slightly, and its back-flames dimmed slightly.

"Don't let him shake you up, Cyndaquil! Use Tackle again!" Silver encouraged, and Cyndaquil managed to break Totodile's gaze to launch another barging attack. Caught completely unawares, Totodile was hurled backwards, and landed in a heap.

"Totodile! Get up!" Gold said sharply. Totodile attempted to struggle to its feet, but fell back to the floor again. "Get up! Now!" Gold screamed, but it was useless; Totodile had fainted. Gold returned him to his Pokeball then pinned Silver in place with his stare. "You just got lucky. You're weak, and so is your Pokemon. I'll show you. Someday I'll beat you, you'll see. I'm not weak. I'm strong. And only the strong deserve to rule," he said, an edge of madness creeping into his voice, and he barged past Silver and disappeared within the tall grass. Silver was completely shaken by the incident; the boy, Gold, had scared him, and his Totodile had been under enormous pressure to win. He felt almost guilty for defeating it and forcing Gold's wrath upon it, but he didn't want Cyndaquil to lose either. He congratulated his Pokemon, stroking its now-smooth back, and recalled it, entering Cherrygrove City for the first time. It was marginally bigger than New Bark Town, but it had both a Pokemon Centre and a Pokemon Mart. His Pokegear informed him that further north was Mr. Pokemon's house, a place of interest due to Mr. Pokemon being an expert on his subject. The first place he went was the Pokemon centre; fortunately, it didn't cost anything to have his Pokemon treated, so whilst the nurse took them away he sat in a comfy chair in the waiting room. The nurse brought them back out of their Pokeballs, and Cyndaquil immediately leapt onto his lap. Hoothoot fluttered over and perched on his shoulder, tilting its head back and forth to keep time and fixing its knowing gaze on Silver's face.

"Thanks. They look better than ever," he said to the nurse, stroking Cyndaquil's shiny fur lovingly. The nurse beamed.

"Only doing my job. I hope to see you again," She left to deal with other patients.

"How are you feeling?" he asked his Pokemon, who responded enthusiastically. "Welcome to the team, Hoothoot. I'm sure you'll be a great Pokemon to have in my corner," he tickled under Hoothoot's beak with his finger, which produced a pleasured hoot of thanks. He knew that Hoothoot was a primarily nocturnal Pokemon, it was a dual Flying and Normal Type and that it only ever stood on one foot, but that was about it. Hopefully that would be enough for their next battle. After he and his Pokemon had enjoyed some lunch, courtesy of the sandwiches his mother had made for him, he took some time to phone his parents. Bringing up his home phone number, he pressed the 'call' button and waited for a response. Suddenly, he could hear his mother's voice emanating from the device.

"Hi honey! How are you?" she asked, overjoyed.

"Hi Mum. I'm in the Cherrygrove City Pokemon Centre. Guess what? I've already caught a Hoothoot!"

"Well, that's great! Excuse me, Chikorita wants to say hi..."

"Chiko!"

"Hi Chikorita. I've caught another friend for you called Hoothoot. Hoothoot, come and say hello. You too, Cyndaquil," Cyndaquil and Hoothoot cooed and squeaked into the Pokegear in greeting. "I'm just about to leave for Violet City; that's where the first Gym is. There's nothing much of interest in Cherrygrove City, apart from Mr. Pokemon's house further ahead..."

"Oh, I advise you stop by there. He's always willing to give advice to budding Trainers, I remember when he came to see Professor Elm one time. Anyway, I already have some gossip for you... a Pokemon was stolen from Professor Elm's lab! Yes, that's right. A Totodile, if I'm not mistaken. Taken by a youth with long, red hair, apparently..."

"Wait! I met someone like that! I battled him! His name's Gold. I think the police should be cautious when they catch up with him; in time, he could get to be very strong. He's already pushing his Pokemon harder than he should be. Well, I'm going to call Dad now, so I'll speak to you soon. Bye!" He broke contact with his mother, and brought up his father's number.

"Hello? Is that you, Silver?" his father's deep voice sounded from the Pokegear.

"Yes, it's me, dad. Guess what? I've got a Cyndaquil..." The two of them spent a while filling each other in on recent developments, including his father giving him a blow-by-blow account of a recent Gym battle. Eventually, when they finally broke contact, Silver contemplated on where to go next. He wanted to challenge the Violet City Gym as soon as possible, but he didn't want to ignore his mother's advice. As Mr. Pokemon's house was on the way, he realised he may as well drop in and show him his Cyndaquil and Hoothoot. Within the first few minutes of leaving Cherrygrove City, however, someone jumped down from a tree and landed in front of him. Dressed in a Bug catcher's uniform, he held a patched net and a Pokeball was clipped at his belt.

"Aha! A new Trainer on the block! I'm challenging you first!" he said excitedly, pointing a finger at him.

"Er... OK," Silver said, slightly disconcerted.

"Alright! Go, Caterpie!" A small caterpillar-like Pokemon emerged and purred softly.

"Hoothoot, go!" Silver said in reply, and Hoothoot trilled excitedly as it flew into battle.

"Caterpie, String Shot!" the Bug catcher cried, and sticky silk flooded from Caterpie's mouth.

"Fly above it! Now, dive and use Peck!" Hoothoot rose in the air and the stream of silk arced down beneath it. Then, falling like a stone, Hoothoot attacked Caterpie with a vicious round of pecks; surprisingly, after this, Caterpie fell back in defeat, its eyes rolling.

"Ayee! Well, I can tell you're no ordinary Trainer. Caterpie, come back! Sorry, Caterpie's the only Pokemon I've got. Maybe I'll see you in future, OK?" The Bug catcher smiled at him and climbed back up his tree, doubtless searching for an elusive Pokemon. Once again Silver was stunned. That battle had been strangely easy, and he hadn't even found time to say something cool after his victory due to the motor-mouth of the Bug catcher. He sighed and recalled Hoothoot; if he was to be challenged by more such Trainers, this was going to be a long day indeed.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon (unfortunately)

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 3**

Silver thankfully reached Mr. Pokemon's house without further incidents; either Trainers had watched him beat the Bug catcher and were staying well away, or else they watched his battle with the Bug catcher and realised he wasn't much of a threat. The house itself was a small bungalow, with many Pokemon sculptures in the small front garden. Pidgeys flapped away from the bird-table as Silver approached, and he also saw a Rattata scurry into a bush, a chunk of Pokemon food in its mouth. The garden was overgrown and Silver had the feeling that the occupant didn't even try to keep it in order. From one window poked a camera and telescope of some sort, perched precariously on the sill, although at the present time they seemed unattended. Silver edged up the cracked garden path and knocked loudly on the door with the brass Charizard-shaped door-knocker. The door was wrenched open almost immediately, and in the doorway stood a tall, grey-suited, poorly-shaven man who by the look of him had been up all night.

"Yes? Hello? Who are you?" he asked distractedly.

"Good afternoon. My name's Silver; are you Mr. Pokemon?" Silver replied politely.

"Yes, that's me. A new Pokemon Trainer, eh? Well, now's not a particularly good time, but since you took the time to detour you may as well come in anyway," Mr. Pokemon said resignedly, and after looking out into his garden one last time he snapped shut the door behind Silver. "Come into the living room... yes, that's right. Please have a seat. I'll get us some refreshments," Silver thanked him and sat obediently on a comfortable couch, looking around with interest. It looked very much like a Pokemon-obsessed child's room, albeit a child with exceptionally high IQ. There were pictures (mostly drawn by himself, and annotated too), photographs, notes, books, even cuddly toys in the shape of Pokemon. Pokemon magazines were splayed across any available surface, and there was even a microscope of some sort, under which a Pidgey feather was currently being observed. There were even Pokemon-themed stories and poems scribbled down, from age-old verse to modern-day haikus. What interested Silver most was what appeared to be some sort of egg, nestled in a large, fluffy cushion and reclining under some sort of heat lamp. It was primarily pearly white, but it was also detailed with red and blue circles and triangles. "Here we are," Mr. Pokemon made his re-entrance, and he dodged and edged through the mountains of Pokemon merchandise with a tray of cakes and two cups of water. Silver accepted the food and thanked Mr. Pokemon again. "So, what do we have here, then, Silver?" Mr. Pokemon sat opposite him on a chair and clapped his hands together enthusiastically.

"Would you like to see them?" Silver offered, and Mr. Pokemon waved his hand for him to continue. "Hoothoot, Cyndaquil, come on out!" The two Pokemon emerged from their Pokeballs and breathed in the cool afternoon air deeply. Cyndaquil sat as always on Silver's lap, whilst Hoothoot perched precariously on top of a swaying pile of magazines.

"Ah! A Hoothoot! Yes, one of the most common Pokemon, but no less powerful for it. Immensely intelligent, of course, and perfect for fighting Ghost Type Pokemon. It seems to be in good enough condition, although I'd hazard a guess that you haven't had it for very long. Cyndaquil, Cyndaquil... you wouldn't happen to know Professor Elm, would you?"

"Yes, he's the one who gave Cyndaquil to me, back in New Bark Town," Silver replied excitedly, happy to know something Mr. Pokemon didn't. The man's eyes widened comically.

"But... he gave you a Pokemon? Well, you must be very mature and sensible... not all people are willing to take the hard road of the Pokemon Master, and fewer are recognised with potential enough to receive a starter Pokemon... Hmm. You may have what it takes to... no. But why not?" he rambled on to himself like this for some time, with Silver not having a clue about what he was on about. Eventually, he coughed discreetly to break Mr. Pokemon's increasingly fractured monologue. "Hmm? Oh, yes, I'm so sorry. Sometimes I do get a bit carried away... Yes. Well, if you know Professor Elm, and he gave you this Pokemon, it must mean you're trustworthy. I've made a rather... _important_ discovery, to say the least. Something that hasn't been seen before, as far as I'm aware... I was given this by two of my friends from the Day Care Centre," he gestured towards the egg on the pillow. "No idea what's inside, but I'm almost a hundred percent certain that it's a Pokemon. You see, nobody's ever seen a Pokemon egg before. It's an invaluable item for study. But I've made all the notes I can on the egg itself; I need it to hatch and see exactly what's inside. It could be a revelation. I'm going to send a messenger Pidgey with my notes to all the Professors that I can, despite the hefty postage, but I have a favour to ask of you. I'd like you to take the egg with you on your journey; I have a feeling it will hatch if kept with other Pokemon, and of course secreted in a warm backpack next to some body heat. I know it's a lot to ask, but this is important. If you don't want to, I'll keep it here, but I think you could be very useful if you wanted to be," Mr. Pokemon stopped talking abruptly and watched Silver closely, expecting an answer straight away. Silver was wary; he didn't want to relinquish another spot in his party for a Pokemon he didn't really plan on keeping. But would it count as a member of his party? If he never used it in battle, and didn't keep it in a Pokeball, he doubted it.

"OK, I'll take it with me. But I don't know how I'll return it to you, because I'm planning on travelling all over Johto. It may be a while before I see you again," Silver warned.

"Ah, don't worry about that! Just call me when it hatches. I'll give you my phone number before you leave... but I can't thank you enough. This could be a great day in the advancement of science, my friend. We could be making history! Here's the egg... be sure to take care of it..." He picked up the egg, cradled it for a second before handing it to Silver. It was heavier than he expected, and he thought he could feel something squirming inside every so often. He placed it lightly in his bag and zipped it up until the tip of the egg poked out, allowing the sun to warm it when necessary. "Be nice for your new mummy. Call me if he gives you any trouble," Mr. Pokemon admonished the egg, then Silver. Silver didn't know whether to laugh or not, but he kept silent as he looked at the serious expression on Mr. Pokemon's face. "Well, don't allow me to keep you from your quest any longer. Some advice is to look for berry trees; once you learn the different types, you'll be well away. You're Pokemon will love them too. Remember to call me when my egg hatches!" Silver guaranteed him that he would, hastily typing in the man's phone number on his Pokegear before leaving the residence of the eccentric Mr. Pokemon. The door snapped shut behind him almost as soon as he had stepped out, but he knew Mr. Pokemon meant no harm. Turning his head, he looked at the tip of the innocuous egg that lay in his backpack.

"Making history, eh? Well, don't worry. You'll be safe with me, Cyndaquil and Hoothoot," Realising that he was talking to an egg, and risking becoming more and more like Mr. Pokemon, he snapped himself out of it and continued his journey, changing course for Violet City rather than the route back to Cherrygrove City. He wondered what Pokemon was within the egg, and whether it really was as important a discovery as Mr. Pokemon had said. As he walked along the bank of a river, he realised that several Pokemon seemed to be following him. Staring into the water, he realised that at least five Quagsire were swimming upstream, all of them with some sort of spherical object in their mouths. He stopped and gazed at them curiously; what were they up to? He called out Hoothoot and Cyndaquil again, and even laid the egg out on the shore as he set up a picnic. There was a near-constant stream of Quagsires moving upstream, and Silver and his Pokemon relaxed in good humour as they ate and watched them. Their placid faces, wide mouths and beady eyes made them seem incredibly laid-back, but whenever one of them had a particularly beautiful or round object, the Quagsires seemed to battle over it. Silver laughed as he saw a Quagsire swimming upstream with an ungainly beach-ball crammed into its mouth. And look! There was one who had an egg-like object in its mouth! Silver stopped laughing as he realised the implications, and, dreading the answer, he turned to look beside him. The egg was gone, and there was a wet, slimy trail leading to the river. Silver jumped to his feet and crammed the picnic back into his pack, disturbing a dozing Cyndaquil and Hoothoot on the way. "Quick! A Quagsire's got the egg! We need to get it back!" he said sharply, and the two Pokemon leapt to attention. "Hoothoot! Fly above the river and keep tabs on the one with our egg. Cyndaquil, run along the bank with me," he ordered quickly, and the Pokemon took their positions. He and Cyndaquil sprinted ahead, looking for a way in which they could slow the progress of the Quagsires, whilst Hoothoot fluttered above their target, keeping its unblinking eyes focused on it. There were no trees or rocks which they could shove into the river and block it, and the prospect of battling Quagsire wasn't too appealing; Cyndaquil was doubly weak against a dual Water and Ground type, and leastways they didn't know whether the others would leap to their partner's defence. As they rounded a corner, they almost bumped into a group of people who were also having a picnic and watching the Quagsire. Some of them were cheering the creatures on as they swam on their way. "What's going on?" Silver asked the nearest person. The woman beamed at him and said,

"Well, the Quagsire festival, of course! The Quagsires take a round object upstream for a purpose we may never know. The objects float back downstream a day or so later; the last one which returns is said to bring luck to the owner!" She turned away and busied herself with a barbecue, handing out food to anyone close. 'Oh no!' Silver thought. That meant he couldn't interfere, or he would risk the townspeople's displeasure!

"Do all the objects come back?" he asked urgently.

"Without fail," she replied warmly. "Why, did they take something from you?"

"Yes, they took my egg. It's really important to me and I need it back. Isn't there any way to get it from the Quagsire before tomorrow?" he asked desperately, even though he knew the answer already.

"Afraid not. If you do, you'll bring bad luck on Cherrygrove City for ten years," the woman replied matter-of-factly. Silver sighed. It seemed he would have to wait this one out.

"Is there any way I could camp here with you tonight? I'll help out in any way I can," he offered, and the woman smiled again.

"Of course you can. Just do some washing up for me, and you're more than welcome here. Your Pokemon can play with the children, if you like," she offered, and Silver gratefully took her up on it. Fortunately, Hoothoot was not long in passing by, and Silver called him back, briefing him on recent developments. "You can sleep until night-time, if you want. Just be sure to wake me up as soon as you see the objects floating downstream, OK?" Hoothoot gave an obliging nod, and Silver recalled him into his Pokeball as Cyndaquil was chased around by the camp's excitable children. An hour or two later, Silver slightly regretted accepting the woman's offer. He had never guessed that so few people could produce so many dirty dishes; his chores at home could never have prepared him for the mountains that were presented to him today. He spent time washing and watching the Quagsires passing, feeling more and more ameliorated as time went on. As long as the egg returned, that was all that mattered. The rest of the day seemed to take an eternity to pass, but eventually dusk fell and Silver was given a sleeping bag. Camping slightly away from the Quagsire fanatics, he found himself a spot in which he could observe the stars. Cyndaquil was curled up safely in his Pokeball, and Hoothoot stood close by to wake him when necessary, but he found it very difficult to sleep. Within an hour or two of receiving the egg, he had already lost it. What would Mr. Pokemon said if he knew? Eventually, however, the heavy waves of sleep successfully engulfed him, and he had a strange dream that he was observing a garden full of Quagsire eggs through a telescope. He did his best to ignore a Pidgey on his head which was pecking him sharply, but he found it too annoying, and moved to dislodge it. Suddenly it turned into a Hoothoot, and his surroundings changed to something more familiar; the river bank. All of a sudden, he was wide awake, and after thanking Hoothoot for his prompt but painful wake-up call he scanned the river. Many household objects were already floating downstream, and the Quagsire fanatics were already collecting their own possessions, but there was no sign of the egg. As time passed, and the watchful Hoothoot fell into a doze, Silver got more and more desperate. Where was it? What if – horror of horrors – it had smashed? Would all of Mr. Pokemon's work have been for nothing? But suddenly he jumped, as if receiving an electric shock. There it was! The water shining on its bobbing white surface, it looked more beautiful and mysterious than ever as it floated closer. He was so relieved at its reappearance that he didn't even notice himself getting doused in river water as he grabbed for the egg, pulling it into his embrace. Drying and polishing it with his sleeping bag, he cuddled it close to his chest. It was still squirming slightly, but nothing appeared to have changed. He let out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, he was all-too-aware of the Quagsire fanatics, who were staring at him.

"Congratulations!" one of them said, wringing his hand.

"You got the final item! You're the lucky one this year!" another said, admiring the egg. Silver gazed down at it himself. How ironic... As he left the camp, he began to ponder on the egg, which was now safely concealed in his backpack. Was some kind of lucky or fortune-bringing Pokemon inside? He snorted with laughter as he continued on his way. What was the chance of that?


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 4**

Violet City. _The City of Nostalgic Scents_, as it said on the sign outside. After a short trek, Silver had finally reached the city in which lay the first official Pokemon League Gym. If he won the Zephyrbadge, he would be truly on his way to the top. However, the Gym wasn't the only interesting landmark; according to the Pokegear's map-card, Violet City also was home to Sprout Tower and Earl's Pokemon Academy. Should he do some sightseeing first, or challenge the Gym straight away? Common sense told him to visit the Pokemon Academy prior to the battle; perhaps he could pick up some useful tips on how to beat the Gym Leader. He wanted to visit Sprout Tower too, but that could wait until later. Stopping off to buy some supplies for his next trip, which would apparently lead to Azalea Town, he was confronted outside the Pokemon Mart by a large, rotund man with a wide smile.

"Good late afternoon, my friend! Beaten Falkner, the Gym Leader, have you?" he said quickly, spinning on the spot. Silver almost dropped his groceries in shock, but recovered quickly.

"Er, no. I've only just arrived here," he said.

"Ah, come with, come with! Earl's my name, Pokemon's my game! Come to the Academy and learn all there is to know!" the man did another pirouette and winked.

"So you're Earl..." Silver said, but Earl had already grabbed his arm and was pulling him towards a large square building, dancing and jumping as he went, deceptively light on his feet. As they entered, Silver was dragged past several classrooms before emerging in a large auditorium.

"Not fear, my students, Earl's here!" Earl cried melodramatically, throwing his arm around Silver like they were age-old friends. The many students crammed into the hall suddenly stopped being so obviously bored and feigned interest as Earl plodded down the steps and lumbered onto the stage, performing one last twist before stopping in front of the microphone. "Sit, sit. Listen to Earl, and you'll be on a roll!" Earl said to Silver in a carrying whisper, and he steered Silver into a nearby chair next to a sleeping student wearing a Pikachu-shaped baseball cap. The blackboard behind Earl was covered with many scrawls, but today the class seemed to be focusing on effects in battle; Paralysis, Poison and so forth. Silver perked up in his chair; perhaps he would learn something useful after all. He listened to the lecture for about half an hour before leaving, unnoticed by Earl. In fact, the only thing that Earl did seem to notice was his own voice, and of course his own unique brand of impromptu dancing. Paper planes fluttered over the assemblage, students played on handheld consoles and people came and went as they pleased (those that weren't asleep from Earl's continuous talking, anyway). Silver believed he had learned something from the odd lecture, at least; there were certain berries that cured all the major status ailments, including confusion. If anything, he could look out for them growing on the way between cities. Having left the Academy and hoping not to run into Earl until he had beaten this 'Falkner', he made a beeline for the Gym. It was a tall building with a cavernous roof, with an official Pokeball emblem on the front in between the words 'Violet City Pokemon Gym'. Now that he was here, he was slightly intimidated by it, but he couldn't very well turn back now. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Ready to make a break for it should Earl have returned, he turned to see a scientific-looking man wearing sunglasses and a white lab-coat over a green shirt and shorts.

"You're challenging Falkner, right?" he asked, smiling.

"Yes. This is my first Gym battle," Silver replied nervously. The man smiled encouragingly.

"Try not to be too nervous. If you're nervous, your Pokemon will be, and they won't do as well in battle. Just a tip; Falkner likes his Flying types. Do you have an Electric type with you?" Silver shook his head.

"I've got Cyndaquil and Hoothoot," he said.

"Well, at least your Pokemon aren't weak against his. It should be a fairly even battle, then. Good luck. I can see you're a champ in the making. By the way, my name's Scott. Hopefully I'll see you around some time," the scientific Scott walked away, looking rather pleased with himself. So Falkner used Flying types, did he? Well, Scott was right; at least he wasn't weak against them. It would be a test of skill. He appreciated the man's advice, and promised himself to find him again and show him his Zephyrbadge to show that his faith in him hadn't been misplaced. If he won, that is... Silver slowly opened the glassy door of the Gym and stepped into the darkened interior. The Gym itself was full of bird statues in many different poses, and even some Bird Pokemon posters were tacked up on the walls. As Scott had said, it seemed obvious that this was a Flying Pokemon gym. In the middle of the Gym was a flat dirt battle-field, but there was nobody nearby, not even any apprentices.

"Hello?" Silver called. Silence. He called again, and this time someone emerged from the back door. He was only slightly taller and older than Silver himself, with pale skin, black hair and loose-fitting white clothes. Silver met his stern gaze unflinchingly until the man smiled and spoke.

"Are you here to challenge the Violet City Gym Leader?" he asked.

"Yes. My name is Silver, and I've come to compete for a Zephyrbadge. Can you tell me where the Gym Leader is, please?" Silver replied politely. The man let out a short, clear laugh.

"My name is Falkner, and I am the Leader of the Violet City Gym. I inherited from my father, and with it, a love of Flying Pokemon. Is this your first battle, Silver?" he asked. Recovering from the surprise quickly, Silver replied,

"My first Gym battle, yes, but not my first ever battle. I faced two Trainers on the way here, and managed to defeat them both," Falkner nodded, seemingly impressed, but then he said,

"I congratulate you for your determination, but be warned; I won't be as easy to beat, especially as this is your first Gym battle,"

"Everybody has to start somewhere," Silver replied, his hand clasped around one of his Pokeballs.

"True, true... But if you insist on battling, I can't take it easy on you. I have the reputation of myself, my father and the Gym itself to uphold. Prepare to battle!" Falkner announced, and took his place at one end of the battle-field whilst Silver took up the opposite position. "We will use two Pokemon each. The first competitor to have both of their Pokemon faint is the loser. You, as the challenger, can make substitutions if you need to, but I cannot. Are you agreeable to these rules?" Falkner announced. Silver nodded, and Falkner replied by hurling a Pokeball into the arena. A bird Pokemon emerged, flapping its small wings. Silver knew it to be a Pidgey, one of the most common Pokemon but potentially dangerous in the right hands.

"Go, Hoothoot!" Silver cried, and Hoothoot burst out of his ball to engage Pidgey.

"Pidgey, use Tackle attack!" Falkner shouted, and Pidgey launched itself at Hoothoot, trilling loudly.

"Get ready, Hoothoot!" Hoothoot hooted in response, its head tilting back and forth as it kept time. As Silver had predicted, Hoothoot's precise sense of time allowed him to dodge Pidgey's Tackle at the last minute, forcing the bird Pokemon to crash to the floor. However, Pidgey was well trained, and was back in the air in seconds.

"Use Quick Attack, Pidgey!" Falkner shouted, and Pidgey sped towards Hoothoot at blinding speed, a glowing trail behind it. Hoothoot was slower to react this time, and Pidgey impacted into the owl Pokemon's chest, knocking him backwards. Hoothoot clattered to the floor, hooting feebly.

"Come on, Hoothoot! You can do it!" Silver encouraged him; Hoothoot jumped to his feet and took to the air, a determined look in his wide eyes. "Use your Peck attack, quickly!" Silver cried, and Hoothoot hurtled towards Pidgey, his sharp beak hammering down time and again, sending Pidgey reeling. "Hit Pidgey with a Tackle before he can recover!" Silver ordered, and with one last charge Hoothoot slammed into Falkner's Pidgey, knocking him to the floor for one last time. Hoothoot fluttered to the floor in triumph as Falkner recalled his fainted Pidgey.

"You have a well-trained Hoothoot there, my friend; and believe me, that is quite a compliment from me. But your Hoothoot will do well to cope with my next Pokemon. Go, Pidgeotto!" Pidgey's evolved form circled the arena, cooing.

"Keep it up, Hoothoot!" Silver said, and Hoothoot hopped up and down in acknowledgement.

"Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!" Falkner cried. Pidgeotto's Quick Attack was far faster than Pidgey's; the Pokemon was a blur as it rocketed at Hoothoot, catching the owl completely off-guard before flapping upwards again to assess the damage. Hoothoot reeled, not quite sure what had just happened. "Finish Hoothoot off with a Tackle attack!" Falkner ordered, and before Silver could warn his Pokemon, Pidgeotto had struck again and Hoothoot fell backwards, unconscious.

"Hoothoot, return. You did well, so have a nice rest now. Cyndaquil, pick up where Hoothoot left off!" Cyndaquil took Hoothoot's place on the battlefield, squeaking his assent.

"Hit him with another Quick Attack, Pidgeotto!" Falkner cried, but this time Silver was ready.

"Use your Ember to ward off Pidgeotto!" he warned. Fire erupted from Cyndaquil's mouth, and Pidgeotto just managed to swerve in time to avoid it. "Quick, Cyndaquil! Tackle Pidgeotto!" Cyndaquil took advantage of Pidgeotto's distraction and barrelled into him from behind, knocking him further off balance.

"Pidgeotto, look out!" Falkner cried, but it was too late; Cyndaquil's second Ember attack had engulfed him, singeing his feathers and forcing him to collide with the wall. Pidgeotto fell to the ground with a soft coo. "Pidgeotto! Try to get back in the air!" Falkner encouraged him; the bird Pokemon shook off its injuries and responded to its Trainer, flapping its charred wings and hovering above Cyndaquil, who was momentarily stymied. "Use your Tackle whilst Cyndaquil's off balance!" Pidgeotto fell like a bullet and slammed into the fire-mouse, diminishing the blazing flames on its back slightly as it rolled across the floor. Cyndaquil struggled to his feet and squeaked to Silver, showing that he was ready to fight back.

"Alright Cyndaquil! Use one last Ember attack, and give it all you've got!" Silver cheered.

"Pidgeotto! Get ready to dodge and hit Cyndaquil hard whilst he's concentrating!" Falkner told his Pokemon, who trilled in acknowledgement. Cyndaquil's back flames burst back into life, and fire spewed from his mouth as he strived to hit the Pidgeotto that hovered in front of him. Pidgeotto used all the aerial agility at his disposal to try and circumvent the flames, but Cyndaquil's barrage was just too wide, and the bird Pokemon ended up being seared. Spiralling to the ground like a damaged plane, Pidgeotto still looked set to make a fight out of it; however, before he could fully compose himself, Cyndaquil launched itself into a Tackle attack, knocking Pidgeotto off his feet and sending him crumpling backwards. Pidgeotto tried to get up, but it was too much for him, and he collapsed, defeated. There was a moment of silence, and then Falkner said, "Pidgeotto, return," When the bird Pokemon was ensconced in his Pokeball once again, Falkner turned his attention to Silver. "I wouldn't have believed it, but you have defeated me. You fully deserve the Zephyrbadge," He handed Silver a small shining badge, which Silver pinned on his jacket. Cyndaquil leapt joyfully into his arms, nuzzling into his chest.

"Thank you, Falkner. I gratefully accept your badge, and I promise you that you upheld your father's honour," Silver said, stroking Cyndaquil's now-smooth back. The two of them walked slowly towards the front door, contemplating their performance in the battle.

"So, are you planning to take the route of the Pokemon Master?" Falkner asked.

"I can only hope I have what it takes. This battle was difficult, but I feel like I've learned a lot from it," Silver replied. Falkner smiled.

"I have learned too. I would not be at all surprised if you became strong enough to beat all the Gyms in Johto. Your Pokemon are obviously well-trained, anyway. Goodbye, Silver, and I wish you good luck on your journey. Just be sure to mention this battle when you become a Pokemon Master," Silver returned his smile and edged out the glass door to the pavement beyond.

"Bye, Falkner. And thank you again," he said, waving at the Gym Leader briefly before the Gym door was closed. He whistled in relief to himself; his first Gym battle, and he came out of it favourably, with a nice shiny Zephyrbadge to prove it. He looked at the vaguely feather-shaped badge appreciatively; such a small item, but which symbolised a much greater victory than he could have hoped for. Would it be the last badge he ever got, or one of many? Suddenly, he remembered that Hoothoot and Cyndaquil needed some rest, so the next stop was the Pokemon Centre, after which he would track down Scott again. 'Champ in the making'... he liked the title. But whether he could live up to it was another matter entirely.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 5**

Silver stood in front of Sprout Tower with trepidation. The huge, faintly unstable-looking building had many Bellsprout-shaped protuberances on each corner of its several square roofs. He was sure that it must be some sort of optical illusion, but the tower seemed to be rocking slowly backwards and forwards. He rubbed his eyes vigorously, and when this produced no improvement he averted his gaze. After his victory of Falkner in the Violet City Gym, he had been eager to visit the mysterious Sprout Tower, but now that he watched the swaying, moonlight-splashed edifice he was having second thoughts. After all, hadn't a passerby warned him that it was haunted? He snapped himself out of it. That was precisely why he was visiting it. Wasn't it every young boy's dream to visit a haunted house? He couldn't look the children at home in the eye if he came back and told them he had forgone a stay in a haunted house. He would never live it down. Besides, by 'haunted', he hoped that she meant Ghost type Pokemon dwelled inside. Ghost types were supposedly completely immune to Fighting and Normal moves, and so would be very useful in his squad. Trembling slightly like the tower ahead of him, he ascended the steps, releasing Cyndaquil and Hoothoot for moral support. He even zipped shut his backpack, concealing his egg from any witches or ghouls. The door creaked loudly as he pushed it open, which did nothing to improve his resolve, but fortunately burning torches were set into the walls, illuminating the rooms. He could see nobody inside, but that was hardly surprising; there were at least five more levels, and it was the dead of night. The wooden steps groaned as he slowly climbed up the winding staircase. 'Ghost Pokemon, Ghost Pokemon, Ghost Pokemon,' he repeated to himself; the rewards would justify the means. Wouldn't they? Was any Pokemon worth this? A huge shadow suddenly danced on the wall like a grotesque spectre. No! Nothing was worth this! He turned to flee back down the steps, but couldn't due to the Gastly hovering in his way, its face twisted into a bizarre grimace. 'Immune to Fighting and Normal,' he reassured himself. It was worth it. Wasn't it? Once again he snapped himself out of his daze. This was no different to a normal Pokemon battle, except that when he won he would have a new member of his team.

"Hoothoot, Foresight!" he ordered, and red beams shone from Hoothoot's eyes to bathe Gastly completely. The Ghost Pokemon's expression faltered, and it fled past Silver up the stairs with a mournful,

"Gastly!" Silver sighed. Just what he didn't want to happen. Doing his best to ignore the creepy moans of the half-rotten stairs, he ran up after the Gastly, his Pokemon close behind. All of a sudden, as he reached the top of the staircase, a hideous ogre loomed up in front of him! Jumping backwards in fright, he realised it was just one of the resident Sages, holding a candle which scarily lit up his straight face. He placed his hand on his chest to calm his throbbing heart.

"I'm sorry... you... you terrified me..." he spluttered as way of an apology to the Sage.

"What business do you have in the holy Sprout Tower at this time?" the Sage asked in a slow, calm voice. His eyes displayed no emotion, and he was dressed in concealing black robes.

"I'm chasing a Gastly. I want to catch a Ghost Pokemon for my quest," Silver answered, his heart now slowing to its normal rhythm.

"Ah. A Pokemon Trainer. You may pass, but do not disturb the sacred vibrations of our tower," the Sage said in cryptic reply, stepping aside to let Silver pass. Sparing a word of hurried thanks, Silver continued his search. It took another couple of stairways, and a few minutes being entranced by the central, wobbling pillar, before he found what he was looking for. The Gastly was attempting to slide through a wall, but Hoothoot's Foresight had made it solid, and thus vulnerable to physical attacks. It bounced fruitlessly off a panelled wall for a few seconds before seeing Silver approach, and it turned to face him with a grin on its face.

"Hoothoot, use Tackle attack!" Silver ordered, and Hoothoot collided with Gastly, pinning him against the wall. Gastly's huge tongue extended itself to lick Hoothoot, but the Owl Pokemon shrugged the blow off and delivered an admonitory Peck. Silver's fumbling fingers sought out the Pokeball he had earlier purchased, and he hurled it at Gastly as hard as he could. Hoothoot hopped out of the way as the red beam sprang out and struck Gastly, withdrawing him into the Pokeball. After two or three rolls, in which Gastly evidently tried to escape, the Pokeball stopped and sealed itself. "Yes! I've caught Gastly!" Silver cried, then lowered his voice as he remembered the 'sacred vibrations' the Sage had mentioned. He picked up the Pokeball with satisfaction and clipped it onto his belt. "Nice job, Hoothoot," he said, and Hoothoot gave a hoot of thanks before being recalled into his Pokeball. Cyndaquil remained on his master's shoulder, as Silver wasn't quite brave enough to traverse the remainder of the Tower alone. As he descended the staircase, he jumped as the Sage once again materialised in front of him. This time there was a slight, grim smile on his face.

"You cannot leave the Tower unchallenged when you have disturbed its revered inhabitants with such abandon," he said, and ripped a Pokeball out of his belt, throwing it to the floor. Predictably, a Bellsprout emerged, swaying back and forth much in the same way as the Tower that bore its name.

"Cyndaquil, you can handle this! Use your Ember attack!" Cyndaquil leapt off his shoulders and his back-fire burst into life as he prepared a fiery attack.

"Bellsprout, use your Growth power to weather the foe's attack," the Sage said wisely, and Bellsprout glowed with a slight green halo. Fire roiled from Cyndaquil's small mouth, expanding and rippling as it engulfed the defenceless Bellsprout. When it died down after a few seconds, Bellsprout was still standing, its vacant expression not having changed in the slightest. Before Silver could even exclaim his surprise, Bellsprout toppled backwards, blackened and charred.

"Bellsprout! No!" the Sage cried. He cursed, returned his Bellsprout and said, "It seems I was mistaken. You are worthy of passage after all. Go now, and go with the serenity of the central pillar within your heart," It was a flowery way of asking him to leave, and he wasn't reluctant to go. He quickly descended the stairs and exited through the huge wooden front doors, each of them decorated with Bellsprout patterns. As he strolled down the stone steps back into Violet City, he took a deep breath. The foray into Sprout Tower hadn't been fun, but he had caught himself a Gastly and proved to himself that he wasn't a coward. Well, one out of two wasn't bad. Suddenly, his trail of thought was shattered by a loud cry from his left.

"Heee-yah! Hiii-yah! Take this! And this!" the voice exclaimed enthusiastically. A girl landed on front of him, her arms raised and ready to deliver a karate chop at a moment's notice. By her side was a Tyrogue in exactly the same position. She was slightly younger than him, and she wore clothes that Silver had always associated with a martial arts trainee. She even had a headband which showed her rank, although he hadn't the slightest clue as to how good she was from looking at it. Her hair was jet black and slightly longer than shoulder-length, and a fiery determination burned in her large azure eyes. "We challenge you to a battle!" she said, pointing her finger centimetres from Silver's nose.

"Er... sorry, I can't at the minute. I have to heal my Pokemon at the Pokemon Centre. Maybe tomorrow?" he suggested, trying to side-step her.

"Tomorrow?" she groaned. "But I can't wait for tomorrow. Please? Just one little battle?"

"It wouldn't be much of a battle, I'm afraid. I've just been in Sprout Tower and had a couple of fights, so my Pokemon are quite weak," Silver explained, indicating the tower behind him.

"Ahhhh..." the girl realised, and straightened up out of her karate-chop pose. "My name's Crystal. This is Tyrogue. We haven't been training for very long, so we're looking for Trainers to battle," Silver shook her hand and replied,

"Oh, OK. Well, like I say, I'll be happy to battle you tomorrow. What are you doing out here at this time of night anyway?" he asked, walking slowly along towards the Pokemon Centre. Crystal fell in step beside him, with Tyrogue tagging behind.

"Training. We're always training. Someday we'll be the best fighting duo in Johto, you mark my words," she replied with such certainty that Silver smiled.

"I'm trying to be a Pokemon Master. I've just won my first badge, from this city's Gym," he indicated his Zephyrbadge, and Crystal was wide-eyed.

"Wow! You beat Falkner? You must be good. Are you travelling around Johto, then?"

"Yes. Well, that's what I'm planning, anyway. Are you from around here?"

"Well, not exactly. I used to live in Cianwood City when I was really young, but we moved to Violet City to be closer to relatives. One day I'll beat Master Chuck himself at his own game!" she made some more martial-arts gestures and laughed to herself.

"Master Chuck? Who's he?" Crystal went goggle-eyed.

"You don't know who Master Chuck is? I thought everyone knew Master Chuck! He's Cianwood City's Gym Leader! A master of Fighting Pokemon if you ever saw one. He's my idol,"

"Wow. I guess eventually I'll face him in battle, then. Hopefully he isn't as tough as you say he is..." Silver hesitated. Crystal didn't say a word; she seemed unwilling to criticise either her new friend or her idol. They quickly reached the Pokemon Centre, and Silver said, "Well, this is my stop. Do you want me to see you to your house, or are you OK from here?" Crystal giggled.

"Why, Silver, what a gentleman you are! People will think you like me if you go on like this!" Silver was completely taken aback at this, and didn't know what to say. Anything that sprang to mind would only make it worse.

"Well... I do like you, just... just not..." he spluttered eventually, but Crystal was smiling devilishly.

"I was only joking. Tyrogue can escort me home. I'll meet you out here tomorrow morning, OK? For our battle?" she continued as he saw the uncomprehending look on his face.

"Oh... Oh, yes, OK. Good night,"

"Night," she replied, and her and Tyrogue disappeared into the shadows. As Silver gave his Pokemon over to the nurse and found himself an unoccupied bed, he contemplated Crystal. She was a little strange, and very outgoing, but essentially harmless. Maybe he could leave Violet City with a new friend rather than just a Zephrybadge and the well-wishes of Scott. The next morning, he had barely gotten out of bed before he saw Crystal standing in the doorway. "Morning, sleepyhead! What time do you call this?" she teased. Conscious of how he must look this early on, he replied,

"Sorry I'm up so late. I'm just going to get dressed, so..." he left the sentence hanging, but she picked up on it and left, closing the door behind her. Locking it after her in a slightly paranoid fashion, Silver dressed and washed quickly after a small breakfast, and noticed that the nurse had left his Pokeballs by his bedside. He released his three Pokemon to check up on them. "Hi, guys. Are you OK? Great work in Sprout Tower yesterday. Both of you were really good. And you, Gastly, welcome! Judging by the trouble you gave me yesterday, you should be a great battler,"

"Gastly!" Gastly replied, smiling so widely that his eyes were forced shut.

"We've got a battle today, against Crystal. Are you all alright to fight? How about you, Gastly? Want to start off against Tyrogue?" Silver asked, and Gastly nodded. Cyndaquil and Hoothoot also expressed their readiness, so, after checking his egg was still fine, he exited his room to find Crystal waiting outside.

"Hi sleepyhead! Ready for our big battle today?" she asked. Silver took that moment to be overcome by a yawn, and Crystal smiled shrewdly. "Obviously not. Ah well, let's go anyway. Out in the square should be a good place for battling," she led a tired Silver and his Pokemon out of the Pokemon Centre and onto the square outside. "One each, OK? I'll use Tyrogue, of course. Ready, buddy?"

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue replied stoutly, arms already raised in a defensive position.

"Gastly! Let's see what you've got!" Silver said, stifling another yawn but feeling wide awake under battle conditions. Gastly floated forwards to engage the foe.

"Tyrogue! Start off with a Tackle attack!" Crystal ordered, and Tyrogue ran towards Gastly to shoulder-barge him; however, to both of their surprise, Tyrogue just went straight through Gastly and stumbled to a halt several metres behind him.

"Gastly, use a Lick attack, quickly!" Gastly turned sharply and darted in front of Tyrogue's face, his long, pink tongue sliding up it and causing Tyrogue to seize up in pain, disgust and Paralysis. "Great job!" Silver cried, and Gastly did a short lap around the square in victory.

"Tyrogue! Use those guts I know you have! Strike back with a Mega Punch!" Tyrogue slowly shook off the Paralysis and swiped at Gastly with a glowing fist. However, the fist went the same was as his shoulder-charge; straight through the Ghost Pokemon. Crystal groaned. "No fair! I can't hurt you!"

"Sorry, Crystal, but I have a reputation to uphold," 'Not much of one' he admitted to himself 'But a winning streak was cause for celebration nonetheless'. "Gastly! Finish it up with another Lick!" Gastly, with consummate ease and more than a little undisguised contempt, slowly drifted back over to Tyrogue and inflicted another slobbering Lick directly to his face. Tyrogue struggled to groan through seized-up jaws, his eyes distracted, and he keeled over backwards like a fallen statue.

"Tyrogue! No!" Crystal cried, and ran forwards to cradle her beaten Pokemon. Tyrogue had recovered, but the match was over anyway, and Silver congratulated Gastly before recalling him.

"You did really well, especially as it was your first battle," he encouraged the Ghost, whom he returned just in time to avoid his very own Lick attack by way of appreciation.

"Tyrogue's not too badly hurt. Lucky for you, or I would have taken you on, Trainer-versus-Trainer," Crystal said, swishing her palms through the air in a series of undoubtedly deadly chops.

"I'm sorry about Tyrogue. I wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen in the battle myself, but I just got lucky, I guess," Silver said, doing his best to ameliorate her. Her expression softened and she lowered her hands.

"Don't worry. You won fair and square. But I do have a favour to ask," Silver was curious.

"Go ahead,"

"Can I come with you on your journey? I want to become a master as well. Just not in the same way. I want to travel with Tyrogue, all over the world, and become the greatest Fighting type Trainer ever! Hoo-hah!" she finished in another of her martial arts poses. Silver was stunned by her request. He had travelled alone up until now, and had been happy with just his Pokemon as company. But maybe another person would be an asset; he'd have someone to talk to properly, after all, and someone to practice with. Not that he couldn't do that with his Pokemon... but she was human. Sometimes that made all the difference.

_Continued directly in Chapter 6..._


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 6**

"OK, you can come. I'll be glad to have you. But we'll have to tell your parents first, right? No running away from home," Silver said. Crystal laughed.

"No, of course not! We'll go and tell them now. You'd better come too, they'll want to meet you in person before they let me travel with you," The two of them had a leisurely morning stroll to Crystal's house, a modest affair with several kid-size training implements in the back garden. "A Trainer needs to be sound in both body and mind to truly be great," she said wisely, and inserted her key into the front door lock. "Mum! Dad! I'm home!" she called as the two of them entered. They walked into the living room to see Crystal's parents waiting for her on the couch, one of them reading a newspaper and the other sipping a drink.

"Morning, Crystal! What have you been up to? And who's this handsome gentleman?" the mother said brightly, indicating Silver. Silver's brain and mouth went into shutdown mode again as she said that, but luckily nobody noticed as Crystal hissed,

"Mu-um... This is Silver. He said I can travel with him if I want to, and I do, I really really do! Can I, please, can I?" she asked extremely quickly, probably to soften the blow slightly. Her father ditched his newspaper and walked over to Silver, eyeing him suspiciously.

"You want to travel with Crystal, do you? Why's that?" he asked almost threateningly.

"Well... well, it wasn't my idea really... she asked if she could come along with me..." Silver replied nervously. All eyes turned to Crystal, who blushed slightly and looked at the ceiling.

"Do you want to leave home already with Tyrogue?" her mother asked, concerned.

"Mum, you know I've always wanted to travel the world and become a great Pokemon Trainer... Silver says he wants to be a Pokemon Master, and he's going all over Johto. I really want to go with him. Please can I?"

"But it's not long now until all your friends will be up and ready to travel too! Can't you wait for them?" her father asked. Crystal shifted her feet suspiciously.

"But I want to go now..." she whined. The two parents looked at each other, then at Silver, then at their daughter.

"Let's see if your friend really does have the potential to be a Pokemon Master, shall we? How about a battle?" her father challenged Silver, who stopped himself from rolling his eyes with huge difficulty.

"How many each?" he asked wearily. He had barely got up and already he was having a second battle.

"Just one. Let's go into the garden," the man replied, and snatched a gleaming Pokeball from a nearby shelf. When he and Silver were arrayed opposite each other in the unkempt garden, Crystal and her mother stood close by to watch. Without warning, Crystal's father shouted,

"Go! Snubbull!" A bulldog-like Pokemon emerged from its ball and snapped viciously at Silver. He found it hard to take seriously because of the ribbons in its fur and its dress-like body, but the Snubbull's vicious face told a different story entirely.

"Cyndaquil! Let's go!" Silver released Cyndaquil onto the battlefield, and his back-flames blazed immediately with the thrill of battle.

"Snubbull! Bite attack, now!" Crystal's father shouted, and Snubbull ran forwards with its fanged mouth wide open and gleaming.

"Cyndaquil! Jump to the left!" Cyndaquil side-stepped the tottering Snubbull's clashing jaws, and Snubbull stopped, confused.

"Quick attack, Cyndaquil!" The fire-mouse launched itself in from the side, harshly slamming into Snubbull and knocking it down.

"Snubbull! Use Leer on Cyndaquil, quickly!" Snubbull staggered to its feet and glared hatefully at Cyndaquil, hoping to root him in place with fear. Cyndaquil, however, was having none of it;

"Ember! Now, whilst Snubbull's distracted!" Flames erupted from Cyndaquil's mouth and licked against Snubbull viciously. As the flames died down Snubbull toppled over in defeat. "Well done, Cyndaquil. That was one of your best battles," Silver complimented Cyndaquil, who leapt into his master's arms as he had done several times before.

"Snubbull, return," Crystal's father said bitterly, and Snubbull disappeared. Crystal had difficulty hiding her smile; she didn't take pleasure in her father losing, but she was glad Silver had won. Now she could go with him on a quest of her very own! "You are a talented Trainer, Silver. I believe Crystal will be safe with you around," he turned to Crystal. "You may go, if your mother is agreeable," Crystal turned pleadingly to her mother, who smiled sadly and gave a quick nod.

"YEEES!" Crystal jumped and punched the air in victory, then ran over and hugged Silver. "You did it, you did it! We're travelling buddies now!" Silver squirmed under her embrace, but was strangely pleased by her childish gratitude. It took a while for Crystal's parents to get everything ready for her departure, including a backpack provisioned with many of the same things that Silver had received, and they also insisted on typing their phone numbers into Silver's Pokegear in case anything happened to their darling daughter. After some tearful goodbyes, in which Silver averted his gaze to avoid at least some of his discomfort and awkwardness, Crystal was pronounced ready to go. For some reason her backpack was a lot larger than Silver's, although it was still full. When he eyed it suspiciously, she said,

"Well, I'm not leaving my weights at home! And I can't leave without my different karate suits, can I?" Shaking his head in disbelief, Silver opened his own backpack as they walked down the street. Slowly, he pulled out the egg and cradled it.

"This was given to me by a man called Mr. Pokemon. I'm to keep it safe at all costs, OK, so don't use it for training or anything," he warned. Crystal laughed at his admonishment.

"You're like a mother Pidgey! Anyway, I'd never use such a cute little thing as a piece of equipment, would I? I do have a brain, after all, as well as great good looks and superhuman strength," she preened. Silver placed it back in his bag, feeling slightly self-conscious at the 'mother Pidgey' comment but happy that he had safeguarded his egg from soccer practice for the time being. As they left Violet City behind them, Crystal turned and sighed, looking back at what had been her home for several years. "I've had some good times there. I never thought it would be this difficult to leave," she said, her voice almost breaking. Silver put his arm around her in reassurance.

"Don't worry. I felt the same when I left New Bark Town not so long ago. But you'll return. You'll see your parents again. You can speak with them whenever you want on my Pokegear, anyway. Ah, that reminds me..." He quickly typed in his home number, and after it rang once or twice his mother picked up.

"Hi Silver! How are you? Is anything wrong?" she said, concerned.

"No, everything's great! In fact, I won a Zephyrbadge at the Violet City Gym!" He pulled away from the Pokegear slightly to muffle the excited squeals of his mother and Chikorita.

"That's wonderful, honey! Your father will be so proud... You, Cyndaquil and Hoothoot must be working really hard. Keep up the good work!"

"Before you go, I also caught a Gastly, in Sprout Tower," Gastly was released from his Pokeball and seeped around the Pokegear with a soft,

"Gastly!" of introduction.

"Sprout Tower? Oh, I've always wanted to go there," his mother said with envy.

"Don't. Not at night, anyway," Silver advised.

"Who are you talking to?" Crystal asked curiously.

"Who's that with you?" his mother asked, hearing her voice.

"This is Crystal, Mum. She's my new friend, and she's coming with me on my quest," Silver said resignedly. He heard a quiet laugh come from the Pokegear.

"Has my little boy got a girlfriend all of a sudden?" his mother asked coyly.

"What?! No, she's just my friend," Silver hoped to set things straight immediately.

"Who happens to be a girl," Crystal chipped in unhelpfully.

"Well, it's nice to... er... meet you, Crystal. Have fun together!" his mother said, still with an annoyingly knowing tone of voice.

"I'm sure we will. I'm going to be the greatest Fighting Pokemon Trainer ever, after all! Hoo-hah!" Crystal replied, once again in a fighting stance. Silver shook his head wonderingly. What had he done to deserve these two?

"Well, I'll speak to you soon, Mum. Give Chikorita my love," Silver said quickly, hoping to end the conversation before it got completely out of hand.

"Bye, Silver! Bye, Crystal!" his mother said before they broke contact.

"Your Mum seems nice," Crystal said, still smiling mischievously. Not sure what exactly to say to this, Silver kept silent and typed in his father's phone number, relaying a similar message, but thankfully his father knew better than to tease him with the whole 'girlfriend' thing, and merely made a polite introduction to Crystal.

"Shall we continue?" Silver asked after the contact broke, and Crystal nodded. Turning their backs on Violet City, they proceeded towards the next stop on their eternal route: Azalea Town. Points of interest, according to the map-card, were the famous Slowpoke Well, Kurt's house (whoever Kurt may be) and, of course, the Gym. Tyrogue and Cyndaquil walked alongside them as they progressed in silence, with Crystal pondering what she had left behind and Silver contemplating his own life back at New Bark Town. After a while, it was Crystal who broke the silence.

"I think that there's a battle dojo not too far from here where we can spend the night. I was never allowed to go there and battle before, but now that it's just me and Tyrogue..." she said hopefully. Seeing the expression on her face, Silver said,

"Lead the way," Crystal beamed and set off at a faster pace, Tyrogue marching beside her in a miniature caricature of her own actions. Silver ran after her to keep up, looking forward to seeing Crystal battle against other Fighting types, against which she would have a good chance. A battle dojo... perhaps he would be able to train there, too. Hoothoot and Gastly were both strong against Fighting types, so it shouldn't be too strenuous. Or so he hoped. The two of them rarely stopped on the way to the battle dojo, and it was only Silver's insistence that Crystal had something to eat that they stopped at all. Whilst she and Tyrogue trained together whilst they walked slightly up ahead, Silver watched her. She was certainly enthusiastic, and both her and Tyrogue obviously had a lot of determination. Perhaps more than was healthy. He had a feeling that the two of them would fight until Tyrogue suffered a serious injury, and part of being a good Trainer was knowing when to stop. He passed the time by polishing and warming his special egg, a job which was time-consuming but strangely rewarding. The more work he put into it, the sooner it would hatch, according to his reasoning. And if he cared for it well, the Pokemon that emerged would likely be healthy and happy. He even convinced a hesitant Cyndaquil to sit on top of the egg to incubate it as it lay cradled in his arms. Later that day, after an uneventful journey, they arrived at the dojo itself. It was a traditional wooden training school, with a large courtyard in which Pokemon battles would likely be held. Crystal approached the two guards who stood outside the doors.

"Can we stay here for the night, please? We're travelling Pokemon Trainers on our way to Azalea Town. We won't be any trouble, I promise," she tried to convince them sweetly. The guards looked at each other, then said,

"A battle to earn your stay, perhaps?"

"Sure! Two against two, then?" Crystal replied enthusiastically. Silver didn't even have time to complain before Crystal and the guards shook hands.

"Ready?" the left hand guard asked Silver, grabbing a Pokeball from his belt. Silver sighed. Three battles in one day? He knew he had to train, but this was ridiculous. He slowly zipped the egg back up into his bag and selected Hoothoot's Pokeball; the Owl Pokemon emerged and fluttered down to land in front of him.

"Go! Machop!" the guard shouted, and the grey-skinned Machop took up a ready battle stance. "Machop, Karate Chop!" Machop's hand moved in swiftly to strike, but Hoothoot rose out of reach.

"Hoothoot, use Hypnosis!" Silver cried, and Hoothoot's eyes glowed with mysterious power, waves of energy emanating from them to engulf Machop. Machop swayed on his feet and his eyes slowly drifted shut.

"Wake up, Machop! We can do this!" the guard ordered, but despite his standing position Machop was completely and utterly asleep.

"Hoothoot! Take your time to pick a good spot, then use your Peck attack!" Silver said. Hoothoot flapped in close to Machop, examining the Fighting Pokemon's immobile form before pecking him viciously on the back of the head. Machop's eyelids didn't even flutter as he keeled over backwards; the critical hit had taken him down.

"Great work again, Hoothoot. Nice Hypnosis there," Hoothoot landed on Silver's shoulder and nuzzled his face.

"Machop, return. You at least can stay here tonight, but I don't know about your girlfriend..." Silver was spared correcting the guard as a Mankey crashed into him, propelled by a powerful kick from Tyrogue. Stepping over the knocked-out guard and the similarly incapacitated Mankey, Silver and Crystal entered the dojo.

"Well done in winning your battle," Silver said to Crystal, who beamed.

"Oh, that was nothing. You should see us when we're really on form!" she replied, and the two of them walked arm-in-arm across the courtyard towards the main building, triumphant.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately)

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 7**

Silver woke up slowly and it took him a moment to remember exactly where he was. The masters of the dojo had billeted him and Crystal in separate but adjoining dormitories – something Silver was thankful for, as he knew Crystal would have kept him awake with her incessant talking had they been put in the same room. As it was, he was refreshed and ready for the day ahead. The dojo masters had left a small breakfast of rice and salad on his bedside table, not exactly delicious but filling enough, as well as some dubious-looking Pokemon food. Hoothoot drew the short straw and was persuaded to taste it first; by the time the Owl Pokemon had finally pried the stodgy block of food from its beak, Silver had given up and shared his own breakfast with Cyndaquil and Gastly. Dressed and washed, Silver led the way and the four of them, along with the ever-present egg, emerged in the bright sunlight that flooded the courtyard. Silver yawned and stretched. Perfect battling conditions. The problem was, he hadn't yet seen a single soul, not even Crystal. Where was everybody? His question was answered shortly as he began exploring the dojo; most of the dojo's inhabitants seemed to be crowded into a large hall, all of them sitting on cushions and meditating with their Pokemon. Silver read the inscription on the door; 'Meditation Hall. Where people and Pokemon can truly meld their minds and become one'. Sounded interesting. He opened the door and walked in as inconspicuously as he could, although not one of the cushion-seated people looked up. The only one to confront him was a rather severe-looking old man who brandished a cane of some sort.

"Are you here for meditation?" he hissed, and Silver nodded, thinking it unwise to disturb him and then leave. "Then sit down and begin. Keep your Pokemon out of their Pokeballs; they will be needed," the old man said mysteriously, and Silver edged over to a vacant cushion next to Crystal and Tyrogue.

"Hi, Crystal," he whispered, but almost instantly the old man was there, and whacked him viciously over the head with his cane.

"No distractions! Distractions serve to confuse the mind," the old man said, pushing his angry, wrinkled face close to Silver's. Silver nodded silently, not wishing to open his mouth lest he incur the man's wrath once again. He sat on the cushion and his Pokemon crowded around him; Hoothoot on his shoulder, Cyndaquil on his lap and Gastly floating behind him. There was complete silence in the hall, except for the old man's patrolling shoes clacking on the polished wooden floor. He did his best to clear his mind, but it was difficult, especially as Hoothoot appeared to have fallen asleep and was snoring quietly. All he could think about was how pointless it seemed, but he didn't dare get up, because he knew the old man wouldn't like it. Eventually he succumbed to the boredom and sat in a stupor, remembering his previous battles and wondering whether the Azalea Gym Leader would be tougher than all of them. It didn't help that he had no idea exactly what Pokemon types the Gym Leader favoured; what he needed was a Scott in every city to guide him along his way. Eventually, he felt a tap on his shoulder, and looked up to see Crystal's smiling face.

"Wow, you were really zoned out. Looks like meditation really agreed with you, huh?" she said. Silver nodded quickly, conscious of the old man's presence close by, and got to his feet.

"Well, it was enlightening, but I think what we need now is a battle," he said quickly, fairly dragging Crystal out of the hall. The rest of the meditators had already left, and whilst most of them were heading back to their dormitories several were out on the battle-field, limbering up with their Pokemon.

"Ah! Now you're talking! Ready for action, Tyrogue?" Crystal asked, and Tyrogue leapt up joyfully. "Alright, then! Let's show these goons who's boss," She looked set to march into the midst of the field and challenge everyone in sight, but Silver just managed to restrain her in time.

"Er, maybe we should warm up a bit first, OK? Just to get focused on the battle," he said, and to his relief Crystal replied,

"Yeah, I guess. 'Focused on the battle', eh? I think you should look into more of that meditation stuff. It looks like it suits you," Silver gave a non-committal grunt and the two of them walked into a deserted corner. Tyrogue and Crystal practised their physical attacks on the air, kicking and chopping in perfect synchronisation. He looked at his own Pokemon. Hoothoot was in a doze once again, Gastly was gurning madly at the nearest Trainer and Cyndaquil sneezed, sending out a burst of embers that nearly singed Silver's trainers. Perhaps he should take some of his own advice and warm up a bit...

"Cyndaquil! Show me your Quick Attack, let's go!" he ordered sharply. Cyndaquil jumped almost a foot in the air in shock before rocketing towards Silver, head-butting him in the stomach as the air behind him glowed white. Silver was knocked off his feet and landed hard on the dirt, winded. "Not exactly what I had in mind, but that was a great job nonetheless. Gastly, extend your tongue! Let's see whether it's in good enough shape..." For the next few minutes, he had Gastly lift his backpack up and down with his tongue in a sort of weight-training exercise, whilst Hoothoot was perching precariously on Silver's outstretched fingers, working on his balance. Cyndaquil fired up his back-flames, then made them die down, over and over again to get himself heated up for the battle. Overall, Silver was pleased with their progress, as he sat polishing his beloved egg with one hand, Hoothoot balancing on the other.

"Are you ready to battle yet? Me and Tyrogue are raring to go!" Crystal suddenly interrupted his rituals, making Silver jump and dislodge Hoothoot accidentally. The Owl Pokemon fluttered to the floor, scandalised, as Silver replied,

"I don't know if I'm going to battle today. I think I'm going to train up my Pokemon in the literal sense, rather than through fighting,"

"Oh. OK, then. You can cheer me on in my battles,"

"Sounds great. Who are you going to challenge first?" Crystal pointed to a boy similar to her age training with a bulky Heracross.

"He doesn't seem so strong. I think we can take him,"

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue interjected happily, jumping up and punching the air. Silver gathered up his Pokemon and they went to sit on the sidelines as Crystal made her challenge.

"Hey! Do you want a battle? My Tyrogue versus your Heracross?" she asked. The boy and his Heracross appraised her quickly, then said,

"OK. It'll be nice to battle a new Trainer for once," The two competitors took their positions at opposite ends of the battle-field, as the various other Trainers continued their warm-ups on the sidelines.

"Come on, Crystal! You can do it!" Silver cried, and his Pokemon chipped in with an encouraging cacophony of their own. Even the egg seemed to twitch slightly as he said it, although that might just have been his imagination.

"Heracross! Get ready!" the boy said, and Heracross steeled itself for battle.

"Come on, Tyrogue! We can beat this bug-eyed monster!" Crystal cried, and Tyrogue took up its usual fighting stance. The two stood in silence for a moment, then bowed to each other. After another tense second, they both shouted out at once;

"Heracross, start things off with a Horn Attack!"

"Tyrogue, show him your Mega Punch!" The two Pokemon charged each other, and although Tyrogue was undoubtedly lighter on his feet Heracross had the advantage of limited flight at his disposal, unfurling two clear wings as he buzzed into a charge. His chitinous horn seemed to glimmer in the sunlight as he lowered it towards Tyrogue, and Tyrogue's fist glowed with unrestrained power as he brought it back and got ready to unleash a deadly blow. The two collided at exactly the same time; Tyrogue's fist and Heracross' horn crashed into each other, but when the two of them separated again, neither seemed to be harmed.

"Great block, Tyrogue! Hi-Jump Kick, now!" Tyrogue leapt up and his foot connected with Heracross' carapace, knocking the Bug Pokemon back, but with no seeming ill-effects. Tyrogue used the momentum of the kick to land behind Heracross, in a perfect position for another strike.

"Ha! I knew he was no match for you! Hit back with a Megahorn, whilst he's still recovering!" Heracross took advantage of Tyrogue landing behind him by whipping round and catching him across the back with his glowing horn. Tyrogue was caught completely unawares, and was hurled several feet up into the air by the powerful attack. He landed awkwardly on his back, but leapt up as if unharmed. Silver could see that Tyrogue was injured, but he wasn't willing to give up the battle just yet. Neither, it seemed, was Crystal.

"Now, Tyrogue! Headbutt him!" Tyrogue lowered its head and barrelled straight into Heracross' stomach, making the Pokemon hiss with pain as the air rushed out of it.

"Heracross, no!" the boy cried, and Silver knew that this was it, the vital moment.

"Tyrogue, Mega Punch!" Crystal shouted triumphantly, and Tyrogue's fist glowed once more before impacting with Heracross' dazed face. Heracross looked for a moment like he was going to shrug off the blow and strike back whilst Tyrogue least expected it, but he crumpled forwards, beaten. "Tyrogue, yeah! We won, we won!" Crystal and Tyrogue took up their synchronised karate position in victory, shortly before Tyrogue slumped forwards onto his knee, teeth gritted in pain as he realised his injuries.

"Tyrogue should get some rest; that Megahorn was nothing to be ignored," Silver intervened as Crystal put her arm around Tyrogue.

"Oh, fine. Don't worry about congratulating me on a great battle or anything," Crystal seemed suddenly angry, and ran inside cradling Tyrogue. Silver could have sworn he saw some tears glittering in her eyes as she ran; what had he done to upset her? Point out that her Pokemon was hurt? He shook his head in bewilderment, and walked over to the boy and his now-conscious Heracross.

"How's your Heracross?" he asked awkwardly. The boy looked up at him suspiciously, then realised he was being friendly.

"He'll be fine. That Mega Punch was powerful, but it was more the surprise of it than the force that floored Heracross,"

"Heracross!" Heracross whispered, buzzing in to embrace his Trainer.

"Heracross! We're meant to be disciplined warriors!" the boy said, but seemed pleased by his Pokemon's affections.

"Well, I'll leave you here then... Well done for that battle, though. That was one fierce Megahorn," Silver said listlessly; he felt guilty for upsetting Crystal, even though he didn't know how he had had done so. He and his Pokemon left the training field and traipsed back to his dormitory, feeling thoroughly dejected. He lay on his bed and took some time to cuddle the egg close to his chest whilst his Pokemon trained around him, seeking to warm it up and speed its hatching as he did every time he needed something to do. He examined its beautiful pearly surface, flecked with blue and red shapes, and wondered for the umpteenth time what was inside. Suddenly, he realised what he had to do. "Guys, stay here. Look after the egg, OK? I'll be back soon," he promised his Pokemon, who replied to the affirmative. He left his dormitory and walked for a short way up the corridor until he stood outside Crystal's door. He pressed his ear up to it, but couldn't hear anything going on inside. He knocked quietly, then opened it when he heard no response. Crystal was sitting on her bed alongside Tyrogue, whose injuries had been bandaged or cleansed, and she looked up as Silver entered.

"Oh. It's you," she said awkwardly, looking at the ground. Her eyes were reddened slightly and neither her nor Tyrogue were their usual cheerful selves.

"I... I just came in..." Silver swallowed, and gathered up his courage. "I just came in to tell you what a great battle that was. You were really good, and so was Tyrogue. Well done," he finished rather lamely. Crystal was straight-faced for a moment, before launching herself off the bed and hugging Silver tightly.

"Thank you, Silver! I'm sorry, I was a big baby for running away like that..." she said.

"I was the insensitive one. Anyway, I'm glad we're friends again," Silver said, smiling with relief. Crystal stepped backwards and extended her hand.

"Friends forever?" she asked. Silver took her hand in his and shook it.

"Friends forever," he confirmed, feeling greater happiness than he would have expected on the reparation of their friendship.

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue leapt up and punched the air, and the two humans laughed.

"Shall we go back to the battle-field?" Silver asked, but surprisingly Crystal shook her head.

"Tyrogue's taken all the battling he can for today. I think we should head off for Azalea Town, unless you want to stay here," she said. There was a dazzling smile on her face as she said this and she wiped away the last of the tears.

"No. Shall we?" he indicated the door. Crystal gave him another smile and curtseyed, her nose in the air like a royal lady.

"Thank you, good gentleman. You may follow me at your leisure," she said teasingly. Silver rolled his eyes, and just remembered the fairly large oversight of leaving his Pokemon behind, running back to his own room to collect both them and his belongings. They left after thanking the dojo's masters for their hospitality, although on the way Silver was forced to hide in a niche in the wall to avoid the old meditation man, who was still holding his trademark cane. As they walked away from the dojo, Crystal spared it one last look. "Maybe I'll go back there sometime, and show them what a real Fighting Pokemon Master is like," she said, and suddenly marched ahead with Tyrogue as if hoping to speed up time to the point in which she became a master of Fighting Pokemon. Silver sighed again, but ran after her. Her enthusiasm was sometimes tiring for both body and mind, but he wouldn't want her to be any other way.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 8**

"Hey! I think that's the Slowpoke Well up ahead..." Crystal suddenly cried, bringing Silver's attention away from the relentless polishing of his egg. He squinted into the distance and, sure enough, there was a large mound of earth directly ahead.

"Shall we go and see it before we get to Azalea Town, or come back later?" he asked Crystal.

"Oh, we've got to see it now, whilst we're passing. It's a major landmark, right? My parents would never forgive me if I didn't go sight-seeing," she replied, and they redoubled their steps. However, as they grew closer, they saw that an unfamiliar man was blocking the entrance, beside which was an old wooden sign proclaiming it the Slowpoke Well. The man was tall and dressed almost completely in black, save for a scarlet 'R' on his chest. He even wore a black beret and black gloves.

"Can we go into the well, please?" Silver asked him, but immediately the man shook his head irritably.

"I've been stationed here to stop people falling in. It's dangerous down there," he snapped.

"Well aren't you the Good Samaritan?" Crystal replied sarcastically, before pulling Silver away. "Come on," she whispered. "I don't like the look of him. I'm sure I've seen that 'R' logo before, I just can't remember where..." Silver shrugged and looked at the man again, who was still standing impatiently in the entrance. Now that he thought about it, the logo seemed faintly familiar to him as well... "We can come back here later, when that goon had left. For now, let's just get into Azalea Town and rest up," Crystal said as soon as they were out of earshot, and the two of them gave up on Slowpoke Well and continued on their way. It didn't take them long to reach Azalea Town, and it took even less time for them to realise that something was drastically wrong. The sign told any passersby that Azalea Town was _where people and Pokemon live in happy harmony_, but Silver couldn't detect either happiness or harmony as he and Crystal walked slowly up the street. People seemed glum and distraught, and despite the great weather there were hardly any people enjoying the sunshine. Out of the corner of his eye, Silver occasionally spotted someone staring at them suspiciously from their homes, but when he turned to return their gaze the blinds or curtains had closed and there was no sign of life. Pasted across almost every available surface were posters, some in colour and some in black and white, and all of them were similar. Every last one of them showed a picture of a Slowpoke, and underneath the picture were the creature's attributes along with a reward for finding it. They took some time to examine the posters, and although all of the Slowpokes looked the same to them every poster was different. It seemed that every last Slowpoke in town was gone. Suddenly, someone crashed into Silver, knocking him roughly to the ground. Rubbing his head, Silver looked up and saw an old man climbing to his feet and scurrying off with a grunt of,

"Sorry, kid," He seemed to be heading in the way that Silver and Crystal had come from. Crystal pulled Silver to his feet and glared after the old man, who was now lost to view.

"He should've looked where he was going," she said angrily.

"Well, no harm done, I guess... Shall we go to the Pokemon Centre?" Silver replied, righting his baseball cap. Crystal nodded, and the two of them continued up the street, doing their best to ignore the accusing glares of the townspeople. When they reached the Pokemon Centre, they realised that the atmosphere of gloom had penetrated the whole town. The nurse at the desk even seemed to be a stark contrast to her usual happy self. "What's wrong with everybody here? They all seem unhappy and suspicious," he plucked up the courage to ask her as they handed over their Pokemon.

"You don't know?" the nurse asked, her eyes narrowing. They shook their heads, quailing under her unexpectedly piercing gaze. Her expression softened. "You must be new in town, am I right?"

"Yes. I'm Silver, and this is Crystal. We're on a Pokemon Trainer's journey," Silver explained quickly.

"Ah. Then yes, you couldn't have known. The Slowpoke we have here – _had_ here – are our prized Pokemon. They live and work with us as equals, and we recognise their sacred potential to save us from any drought or famine,"

"Sacred potential? What does that mean?" Crystal asked, confused.

"Well, legend has it that hundreds of years ago a great heatwave struck the town, withering crops, scorching the earth and drying up rivers. Just when everyone was about to evacuate the town to search for pastures new, a Slowpoke yawned, and the rains came back. The Slowpoke saved us, and we've never forgotten their kindness," the nurse explained. Silver and Crystal looked at each other with the beginnings of scepticism.

"I've never heard of a Slowpoke having that sort of power," Crystal said, somewhat insensitively in Silver's opinion. But considering her words before she spoke was never high on her list of priorities. The nurse smiled again.

"Don't say that to any of the townsfolk; you'll get run out of town! We believe in the Slowpoke, and that's enough for us all," Saying their goodbyes to the nurse, the two of them found quarters next to each other and relaxed in their rooms to eat lunch. Silver idly contemplated the old man that had run past him earlier and knocked him down as he ate. Why had he been in such a hurry? Perhaps he was part of the whole Slowpoke conspiracy... Last time they had looked, he had been heading back towards the Slowpoke Well. Perhaps they should investigate. It would give them something to do, at least; he didn't think that the Azalea Gym would be open to all comers as this disaster had engulfed the town. Finishing off his meagre meal, he waited for his Pokemon to be returned then went next door to tell Crystal of his idea.

"The Slowpoke conspiracy, eh? Sounds good! I've always wanted to be a detective!"

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue punched the air with his usual enthusiasm. Crystal and Tyrogue stood back to back, trying their best to look like ultra-cool private eyes.

"Crystal and Tyrogue, on the case! There's nothing we can't solve! Hoo-hah!" They took up their karate positions. Silver laughed.

"Maybe telling you wasn't such a good idea after all..." he said, and barely ducked the pillow thrown at him. The two of them collected their things and left the Pokemon Centre, retracing their steps and walking back to the Slowpoke Well.

"It makes sense that all of the Slowpoke will be in the Slowpoke Well, doesn't it? Poetic sense, anyway," Crystal said idly as they approached the familiar mound of earth.

"And poetic sense is of course what all Slowpokes are known for," Silver replied under his breath, but fortunately Crystal seemed not to hear.

"Aha! Chief Inspector Crystal and Private Tyrogue are right as usual! Look, the Good Samaritan's gone, and there are definite signs of a scuffle!" she said enthusiastically, seeing the now-blank entrance to the Slowpoke Well and getting set to march straight into the dark interior.

"Hey, wait up! We don't know what's down there!" Silver grabbed her shoulder and restrained her.

"Well, what do you want us to do? Wait outside until the Slowpokes emerge? We've got to investigate this mystery!" Crystal said and broke free of his grip to walked down into the darkness. Silver released Cyndaquil from his Pokeball and used the flames on his back for rudimentary illumination as he resignedly followed her down. There was a steep set of roughly-hewn rock steps which the four of them struggled slowly down, and the earthy tunnel rang with their faltering footsteps and a constant drip-drip-drip of water. "Hey, I think I see someone ahead..." Crystal whispered, and indeed Silver could spot a quivering lump ahead, at the foot of the staircase. As Cyndaquil drew closer, Silver realised that it was none other than the man who had knocked him over earlier.

"Who's there? More Rockets, are you?" he said in a hoarse voice, and tried to get to his feet; as he rose, however, he grasped the small of his back and fell back over in agony. "If my back wasn't put out, I'd give you what for, no doubt about that!"

"Shh! We're not Rockets, we're just kids, looking for the Slowpoke! Who are you?" Crystal asked. Silver could see that she was rather enjoying the investigation.

"My name's Kurt, I'm from Azalea Town. I came here as soon as I heard that a Team Rocket member was guarding the entrance; they're always causing trouble. And I'm right; they've got some sort of scheme involving the Slowpoke going on down here," the man said, his teeth gritted with the pain from his back. "I managed to push the guard down here, but he dragged me along for the ride and I ended up putting my back out. Now I'm useless, I'm afraid,"

"Don't worry. We'll stop this Team Rocket and foil their nefarious plan!" Crystal promised.

"Crystal! We don't know what we're getting ourselves in for! Team Rocket are bad news, mark my words..." Silver hissed, remembering seeing them on the news several years ago. They had even succeeded in taking over the world-famous Silph Co. until they were stopped by some lucky Trainer.

"So we're just going to leave Azalea Town to suffer? You can leave if you want, but I'm staying," Crystal said stubbornly, and Kurt gave her a broken, half-hearted cheer. Silver rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You know I'd never let you take them on alone. Let's go, then, and save these Slowpoke," he said, and Crystal smiled at him.

"I knew you wouldn't let me down!" she said, and her, Tyrogue, Silver and Cyndaquil advanced. Suddenly, Crystal tripped over something with a short cry of surprise. Silver pulled her back to her feet and saw that she had fallen over the unconscious Good Samaritan, whose limbs were splayed out but who seemed unharmed save for a nasty bump to the head. They continued with trepidation, not seeing this as a good omen. The well itself opened into a large cavern, a pool of crystal clear mineral water in the centre. Lolling all around it were Slowpokes, but with one important difference; they had no tails!

"Huh? I thought Slowpokes had tails," Silver said, trying to recall the many posters in Azalea Town.

"They do. Someone must have cut them off," Crystal replied, examining the nearest one. Despite its missing appendage, it seemed none the worse for wear.

"Sorry, kids. No sightseeing today," a harsh voice came from the left, and Silver and Crystal turned to see two more Team Rocket members, one of them a man and the other a woman. The woman had shocking red hair that oddly reminded Silver of his rival Gold, and her face was in shadow due to her beret. The man already had a Pokeball clasped in his fist, and hurled it at them, crying,

"Zubat, let's go!" A blue bat-like Pokemon emerged with a chatter.

"A battle, eh? Tyrogue, get ready!" Crystal ordered.

"You too, Cyndaquil!" Silver said, and Cyndaquil's back flames burst into greater life.

"Ekans, attack! Use a Bite attack on Cyndaquil, quickly!" The snake-like Pokemon emerged from the woman's Pokeball and writhed towards Cyndaquil with a hiss.

"Tyrogue, Headbutt Ekans!" Tyrogue responded to Crystal's cry and rammed Ekans from the side, knocking it off course and slamming it into a rock.

"Cyndaquil, use Ember on Zubat!" Flames burst from his small mouth, but Zubat swiftly dodged, and at a command from his Trainer supersonic waves flooded from his mouth. The sonic attack crashed against Cyndaquil and sent him reeling, temporarily rattled.

"Nice work, Zubat! Finish it with an Absorb!" the male Rocket said, and green bolts of energy struck Cyndaquil, drawing his power into Zubat.

"Now, Tyrogue!" Crystal broke in, and Tyrogue stopped pummelling Ekans and hurled the snake Pokemon, knocking Zubat out of the air and tangling both of them up.

"Nice one, Crystal! Ember the both of them, Cyndaquil!" This time the fire hit the mark, and both enemy Pokemon collapsed into unconsciousness when they finally died down, blackened and seared.

"Ekans, no! Come back! We'd better get out of here," the woman cried, before muttering to her partner.

"I agree. Return, Zubat. At least the mission was a partial success," he replied, and the two of them fled after recalling their Pokemon. Unfortunately, Silver and Crystal were in no position to stop them, as the Rockets were closer to the exit and ran a lot faster than they did. When the sound of their footsteps had died away, and the two of them had given up on ever catching them, Silver gestured to the cave and the Slowpoke within.

"Maybe we should get these Slowpokes out of here, back to their homes," he said, and Crystal nodded. It took a while, predominantly because there were so many and they moved so slowly, but eventually they managed to herd the pink creatures down the tunnel and up the steps, picking up Kurt along the way.

"I knew it must be something to do with the Slowpoke-Tails. They're a delicacy, you see, so Team Rocket must have seen a great business opportunity in Azalea Town," Kurt said knowingly as he spotted the tail-less Slowpokes wandering their way up the corridor. Silver was under one of his arms and Crystal under the other, half-supporting and half-dragging him up into the sunlight. The Good Samaritan had unfortunately been saved by his fellow Rockets, but Kurt assured them that even without a criminal to question their evidence was too obvious to ignore. Silver felt extremely odd as he stood behind a wave of Slowpokes, supporting an old man who he barely knew after battling Team Rocket. It all seemed faintly unreal, as if it was a particularly bizarre dream. But, dream or not, he couldn't deny that he had done a good deed today. Perhaps later he would be repaid with a battle with a certain Azalea Town Gym Leader...


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately)

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 9**

The folk of Azalea Town had been even more grateful than Silver had expected for returning the Slowpokes. As they patted him on the back, wrung his hand and even cried with joy as they were reunited with their Slowpokes, he felt that he had just saved the world, not just a few Slowpokes.

"I think this goes way over our heads," Crystal murmured to him, watching a woman hug her Slowpoke as if it were her long-lost child. The posters were torn down one by one as everyone found their particular Slowpokes, and curiously people didn't mind that their tails had been cut off to eat.

"They don't feel any pain from the cut, and their tails will grow back in a couple of days anyway," one townsperson succinctly put when Silver asked him about this. Kurt seemed to be acting as their unofficial agent, batting away offers of dinner, lodgings and even money for their troubles and circumventing the press. Crystal showed every sign of wanting to perform for the cameras but Silver managed to drag her away just in time.

"We're going back to my house, where you can have all the food and rest that you want. Your heroic Pokemon, too," Kurt said to them in a rather carrying voice, steering them away from the crowds. One Slowpoke, however, seemed to be resolutely following them, although its dopey expression hadn't changed in the slightest. There seemed to be a letter of some sort tied around its neck.

"Er, Kurt? Look at that," Silver pointed at the Slowpoke, and with great effort the three of them managed to turn around so Kurt had a clear view.

"Ah, that must be my granddaughter's Slowpoke! The letter must be from her father, I believe, as he was the one who originally borrowed it from her," the old man said happily, and their journey was slowed further as they cut down their pace, allowing the Slowpoke to walk alongside them. Eventually they reached a small, squat house, with an odd tree growing outside on which large spherical white fruits grew. "Those are Apricorns," Kurt said as he saw Silver glancing at the tree. "I use 'em to make Pokeballs," Suddenly, it clicked.

"So you're the famous Kurt!" Silver realised, remembering the Pokegear saying something about a place of interest being 'Kurt's house'.

"Famous? Well, yes, I suppose I am. I make special Pokeballs, you see, not the mass-market, mass-produced monstrosities huge companies are making from all and sundry," Kurt replied sniffily. Silver did his best to hide the three 'sub-standard' Pokeballs on his belt and looked around for something to distract Kurt's attention. Fortunately, a distraction created itself; a young girl opened the front door and ran out to embrace Kurt.

"Grandad, you're home! And you've brought Slowpoke! Who are your new friends?" she said, looking around at Silver and Crystal.

"I'll let you make your own introductions; I just need to get something from my room quickly," Kurt said, and managed to hobble off on his own to an adjoining room.

"My name's Crystal, and this is my friend Silver," Crystal said with unusual politeness as they sat down with the little girl. She looked from one to the other curiously.

"Are you two boyfriends and girlfriends?" she asked innocently, her eyes glowing with inquisitiveness. Both Silver and Crystal felt their tongues seize up and they were reduced to compensatory splutters;

"No... no, of course..."

"Of course _not_, he means..."

"Well yes... I mean no..." Thankfully they were spared further embarrassment as Kurt made his reappearance, shambling over to a soft chair and sitting down, a hot water bottle clasped to his back.

"I hope she hasn't been too curious," he said with a smile, indicating his granddaughter.

"No, oh no..."

"Not at all, sir..."

"Stop right there! I won't have you calling me 'sir' after you saved me back there! It's Kurt or nothing, you hear?" Kurt said sharply. Both of them looked at their feet like naughty children, murmuring their compliance. "Anyway, I have a present for the both of you. I won't hear anything against it," he raised his hand as Silver looked set to argue. He tossed a Pokeball each to both him and Crystal, and Silver looked at it closely. It was blue and white, as opposed to red and white, but otherwise it looked just as well-crafted as the ones on his belt (something he thankfully remembered not to say). "That there's a Lure Ball. You use it for catching Pokemon you've caught on a fishing rod," Kurt said proudly. Silver could sense Crystal about to ask what use it would be when neither of them had a rod, and made sure to tread on her foot to stifle any retorts of that nature.

"Thank you, Kurt. I'm sure it will prove to be really useful," he said, and Crystal repeated it but with a rather more strained smile. "Anyway, I'm afraid we have to leave. I have an important Gym battle scheduled and Crystal... well, she needs to come with me. Moral support," he said by way of explanation, and the two of them rose to leave. "Thanks again for the Lure Ball," he said to Kurt as they stood in the doorway.

"No problem, my friend. Whenever you need a Pokeball made, just come to ol' Kurt and he'll fix one up for you. The least I could do after the battle in the Slowpoke Well," he replied.

"The Battle in the Slowpoke Well. I like it... sounds dramatic, doesn't it?" Crystal said once they were on their way to the Gym.

"More dramatic than it actually was," Silver pointed out, and the two fell silent as they rounded a corner and spotted the Azalea Town Pokemon Gym. It looked like a huge glass building, and they could clearly see that there were many plants and trees within. And waiting outside was none other than Scott himself. "Scott!" Silver said in surprise, shaking the man's hand as they met once again. He and Scott had spoken before in Violet City, before even he had met Crystal.

"Hey, champ in the making! I heard you were in Azalea Town, so I stopped by to see if I could spot you! You're challenging Bugsy, right?" he asked.

"Bugsy? Is he the Gym Leader here?" Silver asked excitedly.

"I wonder what type of Pokemon he trains?" Crystal said in mock thought. Scott laughed.

"Yep, Bug Pokemon all the way. Hoothoot and Cyndaquil should be able to squish him, though,"

"I've caught a Gastly since, as well," Silver said proudly.

"Wow! Three types who are resistant to Bug Pokemon! Bugsy's going down," Scott whistled, which made Silver glow with pleasure.

"Well, we'll see," he said, trying to suppress his happiness. It was true, all three of his Pokemon were strong against Bugs. But he warned himself not to get overconfident, and once again stepped through the glass doors of the Gym.

"Me and Crystal will wait out here," Scott said, and although Crystal obviously wanted to observe Silver's battle, Silver was grateful. He would work better without the distractions of a cheering squad, and he could always give them a good account of the battle afterwards. Taking a deep breath, he entered the Gym and looked around with interest. It seemed to be like a giant greenhouse, with grass, short trees and bushes everywhere. Bug Pokemon could occasionally seen crawling through the undergrowth or flapping languidly overhead. The roof was made of glass, allowing the sun to shine through and giving Silver a perfect view of the blue sky above him. He took off his jacket and tied it around his waist as he realised how humid it was, wiping his brow. He was fairly confident of victory, having three Pokemon that were resistant to Bug-type attacks, but he knew that resistance alone would certainly not allow him to walk the battle with ease. As he looked around, he was confronted with a small boy, a few years younger than him and wearing the traditional garb of a Bug-Catcher. An oversized net was held in his left hand and a small Weedle was sitting on his shoulder.

"Who are you?" the boy asked inquisitively.

"My name is Silver. I'm here to challenge the Gym Leader, Bugsy," Silver replied. The boy smiled knowingly and beckoned him to follow.

"We call Bugsy the walking Bug Pokemon encyclopaedia. He knows everything in the world about Bug Pokemon! Nobody knows more about their Pokemon than Bugsy..." the boy chattered along in this vein for a while until they entered a clearing, where a taller, spreading tree stood. In the tree's shadow, observing a Butterfree overhead, was a boy about Silver's age. He had shoulder-length green hair, green clothes similar to a Bug-Catchers and a large and ostentatious bug-catching net was clasped in his left hand. His face was soft, young and full of enthusiasm as he studied the Butterfree. "I'll leave you here. Good luck, Bugsy!" the boy cried, before heading back into the undergrowth. Bugsy snapped out of his reverie as the boy called his name, and spied Silver waiting close by.

"Hi. Are you here to challenge me for the Hivebadge?" he asked, smiling.

"Yes. My name's Silver. I could hardly pass through Azalea town without meeting and battling the walking Bug Pokemon encyclopaedia, could I?" Silver teased in reply. Bugsy laughed.

"Yep, that's what they call me; 'the walking Bug Pokemon encyclopaedia'! That's because I know everything there is to know about Bug-type Pokemon. It's taken me ages, but I find that learning the ins and outs of your Pokemon really gives you an edge in battle," Bugsy asked enthusiastically.

"Learning about Pokemon is great, but there are some things you can't learn from books. Shall we begin?" Silver said, eager to be underway. Bugsy smiled again and laid down his net. He snatched a Pokeball from his belt and let the sun's rays bounce off its shiny surface for a second before replying,

"Let's go then, Silver; right here, under this tree. Three Pokemon each. Ready? Metapod! I choose you!" The green cocoon Pokemon appeared in a flash of red light, resting immobile on the ground.

"Bug Pokemon are weak against Flying types. Hoothoot! Go!" Silver cried, and Hoothoot emerged from his Pokeball with a soft trill.

"Metapod! Harden!" Bugsy ordered, and a bright sheen enveloped Metapod, shielding him from attack.

"Hoothoot! Perch on top of Metapod and keep using your Peck attack! Eventually you'll break through!" Silver retorted, and Hoothoot fluttered over to his still opponent, landing on top of him and tapping him with his beak, over and over again.

"Keep using Harden, Metapod! Eventually Hoothoot will give up!" Bugsy encouraged.

"We'll never give up! Keep it up, Hoothoot! He won't hold out much longer!" Minutes passed in silence, the only sound being Hoothoot's beak repetitively tapping against Metapod's hard shell. Eventually, Metapod's shell lost its sheen, and started to dull. Silver quickly took his chance, and shouted, "Quick, Hoothoot! Tackle him!"

"Metapod! One last Harden!" Bugsy cried, but he was too late; Hoothoot had rammed Metapod hard, and the green Pokemon's eyes rolled, the only outward sign of its defeat. Hoothoot landed next to Silver, panting in fatigue. "Metapod, return. Kakuna, show them what you've got!" Yet another cocoon entered the battfield, but this time it was brown, and its slitted eyes were jet black.

"Hoothoot, return and have a rest. Gastly, take out Kakuna quickly!" Silver retrieved the grateful Owl Pokemon and took his chance to train up Gastly, whose gaseous purple body almost allowed Silver to see through him to the Gym Leader beyond.

"A Ghost Pokemon, huh? Well, use your Harden, Kakuna!" The same sheen that toughened up Metapod engulfed Kakuna.

"Gastly, don't let that stop you! Use a Lick attack!" Gastly floated in with amazing speed and extended his long pink tongue, which rubbed all the way up Kakuna's shell. Kakuna's eyes lost some of their focus, and its shell's glare lessened in intensity. "Great, Gastly! You Paralysed him!" Silver punched the air. Gastly responded with a loop the loop, before flying in close again and inflicting one last Lick attack against Kakuna. The Pokemon fell backwards, defeated. "Alright! Two-for-two!" Silver cheered.

"Scyther, sort them out!" Bugsy shouted, and the mantis Pokemon darted into play dangerously. "Use your Fury Cutter on Gastly, quick!" Scyther's blades flickered through the air with blinding speed as he struck Gastly again and again; before Silver could launch a counter-attack, Gastly had fainted. "Hah! We've done it again, Scyther! I discovered that move myself and it just keeps building up in power. May as well forfeit, before the rest of your Pokemon faint," Bugsy teased.

"Gastly, come back. Hoothoot, you've had a nice rest! Now show Scyther what we can really do!" Silver recalled the Ghost Pokemon and sent out Hoothoot again. Despite his brave words, Gastly's quick victory over Kakuna had not left much time for recovery, and Hoothoot was still quite tired.

"We can both see that your Hoothoot is out of it already. Scyther! Fury Cutter!" Bugsy ordered.

"Come on, Hoothoot! Show him your Peck attack!" Scyther's blades slashed against Hoothoot, but despite his injuries, the owl Pokemon kept going. "Hah! Hoothoot's resistant to Bug attacks, no matter how powerful!" Silver jeered as Hoothoot swept within Scyther's reach and viciously pecked his face. Both Hoothoot and Scyther then flew backwards, feeling new respect for their foe.

"One more Fury Cutter should wrap this one up, Scyther!" Bugsy encouraged, and Scyther whipped into action, buzzing towards Hoothoot with his blades gleaming.

"Hit him head-on with a Tackle, Hoothoot! Don't hold back!" Silver cried, and Hoothoot fluttered into action once again. He made a quick pass at Scyther, but the Bug Pokemon was too quick and too well-rested; he dodged Hoothoot's attack and launched his own, knocking Hoothoot unconscious with a flurry of blades. "Hoothoot, return. You did great, buddy. Both you and Gastly wore down the opposition, and now it's your turn, Cyndaquil!" Cyndaquil jumped from his Pokeball and landed agilely in front of Scyther, whose breathing was more laboured than ever.

"Your Fury Cutter's at peak power, Scyther! Land this hit and Cyndaquil will be out even before he's in!" Bugsy commanded, and Scyther's wings buzzed once again as he moved in for the attack.

"Cyndaquil, use your Smokescreen!" Silver ordered. Thick black smoke poured from Cyndaquil's mouth, masking him from sight. Scyther stopped, puzzled, for a second, and that second was all Silver required. "Quick Attack, now, Cyndaquil!" Cyndaquil squeaked and launched himself through the smoke, smashing into Scyther from behind. The mantis Pokemon reeled, landing on its feet as its wings fluttered weakly. "Finish him off with an Ember attack!" Silver shouted, seeing his opportunity. Cyndaquil's mouth opened wide, and billowing flames rushed out to engulf Scyther, who was burned to a crisp. He fell to the floor, blackened, burned and defeated. "All right Cyndaquil! We did it again!" Silver cried, and ran to congratulate his Pokemon; however, Cyndaquil was standing completely still. Bugsy, who had recalled his Scyther, was watching it with concern. "What's up, Cyndaquil? Did Scyther get you with his attack?" Silver started to bend down to touch Cyndaquil, but the Pokemon started to glow brightly, and Silver staggered backwards. Cyndaquil's whole body seemed to be morphing within the white light, and when it had faded a Pokemon similar to Cyndaquil, but subtly different, had taken his place.

"I think your Cyndaquil just evolved into a Quilava," Bugsy said, bending down for a closer look. Quilava's short, lustrous fur gleamed under the light streaming in through the windows, and his weasel-like features broke into an unmistakable look of affection as he jumped up into Silver's arms.

"Hey, slow down there, Quilava! You're heavier than you used to be!" Silver laughed as Quilava curled up in his arms.

"Well, I don't know if this can compete with having your Cyndaquil evolve, but you deserve it anyway," Bugsy interrupted; in his hand was a badge coloured like a ladybird. Silver gratefully accepted it, and said,

"Thanks, Bugsy. I'll have to watch out for that Fury Cutter in the future; it must be powerful if it can take down Gastly and Hoothoot!" Bugsy laughed.

"Well, it wasn't just the move, it was Scyther, too. But thanks for the battle; you showed me that there's still more for me to learn about my Pokemon. I doubt if I'll ever find out everything, but I'll never stop trying!" Silver commended him for his great attitude before hurrying out of the Gym, beating his way through the foliage to get back to Crystal and Scott, who were still waiting outside. As they eagerly clamoured for the result, he pointed to his Hivebadge in answer, slipping his jacket back on.

"Yes! I knew you'd do it!" Crystal congratulated him, and Tyrogue punched the air.

"Great job once again, champ in the making. The type advantage can make the difference between victory and defeat," Scott said sagely.

"I don't think I would have won without the type advantage. Anyway, look at this!" He released Quilava, and Crystal squeaked with excitement.

"You evolved! Well done, Quilava! I'm proud of you!" she said, and Quilava rubbed against her leg like a cat. Tyrogue also congratulated Quilava, and the two of them chased each other in a circle playfully. "Well, it looks like we've done everything we can in Azalea Town. What's next on the list?" Crystal asked flippantly. Stifling a laugh, Silver flipped open his Pokegear and checked the map.

"Ilex Forest. Sounds interesting... Then we'll move on to Goldenrod City,"

"Oh, you'll like it there," Scott reassured them. "There's loads to do, including a Pokemon Gym. Maybe I'll see you there," he said, and he walked off, an enigma as usual.

"That guy's weird, but I like him. Ilex Forest?" Crystal said, watching Scott leave.

"Yeah, just let me heal my Pokemon at the Pokemon Centre. All of them fought well, not just Quilava," Silver said. When they had had a nice rest, and Silver had spared no expense in filling Crystal in on the details of his battle, they walked slowly to the route that led to Ilex Forest. The only place of interest highlighted by the Pokegear was a shrine of some sort, which was supposedly hidden deep in the forest. Silver was just about to tell Crystal this when a shout came from behind.

"Ha! I knew I'd catch you here!" Silver and Crystal turned to see a shockingly familiar face; Gold, who looked as if he had run to catch up with them. The boy glared and grabbed one of his Pokeballs. "Let's go,"

_Directly continued in Chapter 10..._


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 10**

"W... What?" Silver stuttered.

"I said let's go. You and me. Pokemon battle," Gold replied impatiently. "Or are you afraid I'll beat you?"

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Crystal snapped, but Gold ignored her completely.

"Come on, Silver... just one battle. Just one quick fight that will prove to you that I'm not weak. You were lucky last time. This time, I'll crush you. You'll see," Without waiting for a reply, he cried, "Gastly, go!" Silver was stunned momentarily. His rival had a Gastly too? Well, he had the perfect antidote for that.

"Hoothoot, I choose you!" Hoothoot burst from his ball and twittered angrily, its eyes fixed on Gastly.

"Gastly, use your Lick attack!" Gold snapped, and Gastly rushed into battle like a comet, its famous tongue lashing Hoothoot mercilessly.

"Ghost moves don't affect Hoothoot, Gold! Hit him with your Foresight, Hoothoot!" Beams illuminated Gastly red as they flooded from Hoothoot's eyes, making the Ghost solid and vulnerable.

"Don't listen to him!" Gold shrieked. "Your Lick will work! It'll overpower that weakling, you just have to put more effort in!" Gastly once again licked Hoothoot, but to no effect.

"Hoothoot, teach him a lesson with your Tackle attack!" Hoothoot slammed into Gastly, knocking him back several metres, and he looked as if he was about to faint before Gold shouted,

"Get back in there and try again! I promise you, one more Lick and he'll be helpless!"

"Gold, no! Didn't you hear me? Gastly can't affect..." Silver began, but one venomous glare from Gold shut him up.

"You have no right to tell me how to train my Pokemon. Do it, Gastly! Now!" Gastly's long, pink tongue glistened as it slid up Hoothoot's face, but Hoothoot merely responded with an impromptu Peck attack that sent Gastly crashing to the floor. "Gastly! You weakling... any other Ghost Pokemon could have beaten that owl. Time to replace you with a real fighter... Zubat, you're up!" Silver and Crystal were upset by Gold's fanatic and cruel training style - Crystal was nearly in tears, which was unusual for her – but Silver knew he couldn't have any mercy. He didn't want to lose any more than Gold did.

"Hoothoot, return. Gastly, it's your turn!" His own Gastly emerged, and he had to admit that compared to Gold's it looked happier and healthier.

"Zubat, use Leech Life! Take no prisoners!" Gold ordered, and green crackles of electricity struck Gastly, trying to suck his power into Zubat himself.

"Gastly, hit him with a Lick attack, before he drains too much of your strength!" Silver ordered. Gastly struggled closer to Zubat, doing his best to power through the beams that surrounded and pummelled him, and eventually got close enough to inflict the attack that had failed Gold's Gastly. Zubat shuddered and the Leech Life attack stopped as Paralysis set in.

"Zubat! Attack him with Bite, immediately!" Gold said sharply, and this time the Pokemon responded to its Trainer's unique brand of encouragement. Its sharp teeth clashed together, snapping at Gastly and injuring him more severely than Silver would have thought possible. Gastly was struggling to stay aloft, but he was still conscious.

"OK to battle?" Silver asked, and Gastly nodded slowly. "Take him down with another Lick attack, then!"

"Ha!" Gold screeched triumphantly. "I knew you'd do that! Zubat, Supersonic! Finish it off!" Zubat, however, was finding it difficult to even keep its wings moving, and it certainly wasn't in any fit state to resist as another Lick attack took it head-on. Gold's second Pokemon crumpled onto the grassy floor. Gold fairly screamed with frustration, and didn't even bother to say anything as he released his final Pokemon; a Croconaw. Obviously his Totodile had evolved.

"Gastly, come back. Quilava, go!" Quilava hopped out onto the battle-field, eager to confront its rival.

"Quilava? I knew you were a fool; Quilava's weak against Water attacks. Croconaw, hit him with a Water Gun!" A spray of water blasted from Croconaw's open mouth, but Quilava put his agility to good use and dodged it.

"Quilava, use Smokescreen, then Quick Attack!" A bank of dark fog seeped from Quilava's mouth, shrouding both Pokemon, but suddenly Croconaw emerged as he was hurled away by Quilava's Quick Attack.

"Croconaw! Up!" Gold said threateningly, and Croconaw got to his feet. "Now use your Rage attack! Pummel that Quilava into dust!" Croconaw seemed to be working himself up into a frenzy, stamping his feet and gnashing his jaws. Silver knew that this was not a desirable thing.

"Quilava, use a Tackle to knock Croconaw over, as fast as you can!" Quilava jumped out of the smokescreen like a ghost, and wasted no time in coming at Croconaw from the side, knocking him off his feet. However, Croconaw jumped up even without Gold's threats and whacked Quilava hard across the face, catching him by surprise and sending him reeling.

"Keep going, Croconaw! Pound him! Batter him!" Gold cried maniacally.

"Jump back into the smoke, Quilava! Keep out of reach as much as possible!" Silver ordered, and Quilava gratefully ducked away from Croconaw's flailing form. Croconaw, as Silver predicted, stumbled into the smoke after Quilava, intent on hitting him again with its Rage. "Quilava, Quick Attack! Then run away again!" Silver shouted over the snarls of Croconaw. Quilava charged into Croconaw from behind, then melted into the smoke again faster than Croconaw could strike back.

"Croconaw! Use Water Gun to spray everything around you! You're bound to hit him that way!" Gold ordered, but Croconaw wasn't listening; the Rage had consumed him, and he was still stumbling around trying to physically strike Quilava as the Fire Pokemon used hit-and-run attacks to wear him down. "Croconaw! Listen to me, you imbecile!" Gold screamed, but he was wasting his breath; seconds later, Croconaw took a final Tackle attack that pushed him over the edge, and he fainted. "Croconaw, no! Get up and fight right now!" Gold stalked over to Croconaw and bellowed at him, but the Crocodile Pokemon was unresponsive. Gold sighed quietly as he realised it was all over, recalling Croconaw. He took one look at Silver and said, "This isn't over," then ran back the way he had came. Neither Silver nor Crystal had any wish to pursue him.

"Who was that monster?" Crystal asked, her voice shaking with shock after witnessing the boy's aggressiveness and cruelty.

"His name's Gold. He stole that Croconaw from Professor Elm the same day I got Quilava, and he's been after me ever since..." Silver sighed heavily.

"It's... it's tragic, that's what it is. Those poor Pokemon, having to put up with a Trainer like him..." Crystal said.

"Gold himself has to be pitied as well. You have to consider what would make somebody act like that," Silver replied, and the two of them slowly entered the Ilex Forest in silence, wondering where the joy they had been feeling mere minutes ago had vanished to. Ilex Forest was populated with huge, spreading trees that blocked out the sun completely. They were even warned by a sign that some parts were so dark that people lost items there, and should they be reclaimed there was a 'Lost and Found' desk somewhere on the other side of the forest. The two of them continued to walk silently, both of them dwelling on the battle but neither willing to broach the subject. There wasn't much of interest in the forest itself, especially as the two of them stuck to the main route; neither of them wanted to scout around in search of Pokemon, and both of them wanted to get to Goldenrod City as soon as possible, so they didn't want to pointlessly delay with a country walk. However, their solemn reverie was broken as a stout Bird Pokemon crashed into Silver from the side, hurtling from a side path. 'Why is it always me who gets floored?' Silver asked himself in annoyance as he got to his feet. In front of him, dazed, was a Farfetch'd. The wild duck Pokemon was clutching a leek, as usual, and it waved this at Silver and squawked in admonishment. Crystal giggled as the Pokemon puffed out its chest irately, but she was rewarded with a sharp rap on the knees by the leek.

"Ow! That thing's harder than it looks... Tyrogue, teach him some manners for me!" she said angrily, rubbing her bruised knee. Tyrogue was set to leap into battle, and Farfetch'd looked more than ready for him, but the scene was ruptured by a cry of,

"Oh, thank goodness! You've found Farfetch'd!"

"Much to our displeasure," Crystal said sourly by way of greeting. The boy that crashed out from the undergrowth was wearing soot-stained clothes, and had an expression of pure relief on his face.

"That's the millionth time Farfetch'd has escaped from me now! Bad Farfetch'd!" the boy scolded the Farfetch'd, who responded with another leek whack to the knee. "Owowowowow! Farfetch'd, master told you never to do that again!" A whack to the other knee. Silver helped the boy unsteadily to his feet as Farfetch'd crowed with laughter.

"That's one bad attitude that Farfetch'd has got..." Silver began, but Crystal and the other boy covered his mouth and stifled him before he could receive a punishment from the angry, leek-wielding creature.

"He isn't mine, which is probably why he doesn't listen to me. I'm just the Charcoal Man's assistant. We use Farfetch'd's Cut attack to chop up trees to use for charcoal,"

"Well, we would do if a certain apprentice was able to control him," a thunderous voice came from behind them, and the boy trembled with terror as his master appeared. The man was tall and muscular, with similarly soot-stained clothes, and he gave the impression of possessing great strength and a harsh teaching style. "You lost him again, didn't you?" he snapped angrily, and the boy looked at his feet guiltily. The Charcoal Man turned to look at Farfetch'd, who sprang to attention. "You!" he bellowed. Farfetch'd hung his head and attempted to hide his leek behind his back. "How many times do I have to tell you? Obey him as you obey me. Otherwise I'll trade you off and get a new Farfetch'd," Farfetch'd seemed alarmed at this thought, and mumbled what Silver presumed to be an apology. "Now, get back to the house. Both of you are taking the rest of the day off – without pay, I might add," The boy and the Farfetch'd sidled away, side by side and forlorn. "Now, who are you two?" the man asked after they had left his piercing gaze. Neither of them could look into his eyes as they mumbled their replies, wondering whether he was going to shout at them, too.

"Farfetch'd crashed into me, and hit Crystal with its leek. We didn't mean to get in the way, but..." Silver said, hoping to shift the blame from the apprentice to the Farfetch'd.

"So you were the ones who found it?" the man boomed, and they nodded. "Well, I can't let that go unpaid," The two of them relaxed; they were sure he was going to say 'unpunished' for a second there. He rummaged around in his pockets, and drew out a chunk of what looked liked black rock. "This is some of my finest charcoal. Do either of you have a Fire type Pokemon?" Silver put his hand up as if he were at school before he could stop himself. "Then here, take it. No extra charge. In fact, I'll take it out of that apprentice's wages, if you'd prefer..." They hastily dissuaded him from that idea as respectfully as they could before making their excuses and leaving him as soon as they could. Once they were out of earshot, Crystal groaned.

"My knee really hurts. I didn't dare complain to _him_, but you're a different matter..." she whined, stopping to rub her hurt knee.

"Don't worry. Hopefully that Farfetch'd will obey that apprentice now... although I doubt it," Silver admitted. Crystal giggled.

"Well, Farfetch'd obviously wore the trousers in that relationship, didn't he?" she said mischievously. Soon, the two of them were laughing as they walked, and the rest of the trek seemed to fly by.

"How can I use this charcoal, anyway?" he asked, holding up the lump and examining it critically. Crystal shrugged.

"I guess you rub it into the skin or fur of a Fire type to boost its attack, but I'm not sure," she said. He could tell from her grin that she wanted him to test in on Quilava, so he sighed and released him, bending down to crush the charcoal between his fingers.

"Quilava?" Quilava said quizzically, and Silver replied,

"Don't worry. I'm just going to rub this charcoal into your fur..." He held out the lump of charcoal for Quilava's perusal, but the Fire Pokemon leapt forwards and grabbed it in his jaws, wasting no time in chomping it up. Crystal was beside herself with giggles, but stopped as the fire on Quilava's back burst into life larger and brighter than before, floating embers onto her shoes and almost setting them alight. "Was that nice?" Silver asked sardonically, and Quilava beamed, its mouth still peppered with coal dust. Crystal stroked Quilava's fur as the flames died down, and found that somehow it was somewhat finer after his meal. Suddenly, an odd expression flitted onto Quilava's face, momentarily before it accidentally exhaled a great burst of flame. Silver just managed to duck, and he could hear Crystal trying her best to stifle laughter over the crackle of flames. Turning his head, he saw that his backpack was on fire! He tossed it off his back and threw it to the ground, raising his foot to stamp on it before remembering that the egg was inside. However, Quilava was eager to repair its mistake, and leapt onto the backpack, smothering the fire with its short, non-flammable fur. Silver wiped his forehead with relief as Quilava stepped off the now-smoking backpack. The Fire Pokemon was poking it with his snout curiously, and Silver asked, "What's wrong?" Suddenly, the backpack gave a great shake, and a little head popped up out of it, looking around blearily. It took a moment to sink in, but then Silver realised; "My egg! It's hatched!" he cried ecstatically, running forwards and fully opening the backpack, pulling the new Pokemon out of its charred remains.

"Togi?" the Pokemon squeaked, fixing its gaze on Silver before waving its little arms and legs happily.

"Awwww! He's so cute!" Crystal gushed, running over beside Silver and gazing wondrously at Togepi. She extended a finger and tickled the middle head spike, drawing out another happy squeak.

"How are you, Togepi?" Silver asked tenderly, examining the Pokemon. It seemed to be in good enough condition, at least, and not in the least bit harmed by Quilava's flames.

"Hey! You do know that you're Togepi's mummy now, don't you?" Crystal realised, nudging him in the ribs and winking.

"Well, that makes you the daddy, then," Silver retorted.

"I think I'm more like a big sister. The one that Togepi can go to later in life and seek help from..." Crystal replied, and the two of them continued on their journey, bickering about their new find. Fortunately Quilava grabbed the backpack in his mouth and followed, sharing a look with Tyrogue as if to say,

"Humans, eh? They're certainly an odd bunch,"

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue jumped and punched the air before speeding off after his beloved Trainer, leaving Quilava to roll his eyes and scamper after them.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 11**

Silver breathed in deeply as he stepped out of the confining darkness of Ilex Forest. The air in there had been warm, stale and stuffy, and it was a relief to get back to fresh air. He could hear Crystal inhaling and exhaling in satisfaction beside him, and for the umpteenth time he turned and checked up on Togepi, whose head was the only part that emerged from the top of the backpack he was still secreted in. Togepi was still asleep; after the initial hatching, which had obviously been very tiring for him, he had been awake for just long enough to greet his new Trainers before dropping off back to sleep.

"Goldenrod City isn't too far away. According to the Pokegear, we'll pass the Day Care Centre on the way; perfect timing, huh?" he asked Crystal, indicating Togepi. Crystal smiled and nodded.

"And whilst we're there, you'd better remember to phone Mr. Pokemon. I'm sure your Mum wouldn't mind meeting Togepi either,"

"Who wouldn't want to meet such a cutie?" Silver said, before realising he had spoken out loud. Disguising her laugh as a cough, Crystal led the way forwards towards the Day Care Centre. That had been where it all began for Togepi; the old couple that ran it had given the newly-discovered egg to Mr. Pokemon, who had passed it on to Silver. Now, in an oddly symmetrical turn of events, it was Silver who now visited the Day Care couple.

"Hurry up, we haven't got all day," Crystal said impatiently, and Silver hurried up his steps. He was eager to get to Goldenrod City too, after all; there was a Pokemon Gym there, as well as too many landmarks to count, according to the Pokegear. The Radio Tower, the Magnet Train station, the Game Corner... the list went on and on. There was even a Pokemon expert called Bill that he would like to visit should it be possible. It was a longer road than they expected to reach the Day Care Centre, and they found themselves having a picnic as it still wasn't in sight. Leaving Togepi slumbering in his backpack, Silver released the rest of his Pokemon and made a simple lunch. It was immensely satisfying to sit there and watch the world go by, with no pressing appointments on either of them, and just eat and relax with their friends.

"Er, Silver... look out," Crystal suddenly warned him, tense. Silver slowly turned around to where he had laid his sandwich, expecting to see a Beedrill buzzing around in search of sustenance, but instead, standing so close that they were practically face-to-face, was a Drowzee. What was more, the crumbs from what was left of Silver's sandwich littered the floor around it. Its sleepy eyes and placid smile improved Silver's temper slightly, but not by much; that had been a nice sandwich.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" he snapped, but Drowzee merely blinked in response. "Leave us alone. We were having our lunch in peace until you came along," Silver attempted to make it feel guilty, but all he accomplished was another blink. He could hear Crystal giggling behind him, and straightened up, faintly angry now. "Gastly, go! We'll wipe the smile off this guy's face!" Gastly floated over, ready for battle. "Use your Hypnosis to put him to sleep!" Gastly immediately responded by sending powerful psychic waves from his eyes, with dancing patterns and mirages that hoped to put Drowzee out of action. Without even lifting a finger, Drowzee countered the attack with his rather more potent Hypnosis; the psychic energy rebounded back on Gastly, and soon it was the Ghost Pokemon that was asleep. Silver was hopping mad now, something that was not helped by Crystal's rising laughter. "Return, Gastly. Hoothoot, show Drowzee some real Hypnosis! Let's go!" Hoothoot snapped out of his doze and flapped over, his saucer-like eyes emitting even more powerful mental waves, seeking to surround and soothe Drowzee into slumber. Seconds later, Hoothoot was asleep. Crystal was almost crying with laughter now, and was doubled over. "If you think you can do a better job, step right up," Silver said through gritted teeth, but she was too incapacitated to reply. "Quilava, come on! Don't make me rely on Togepi here," he turned to Quilava, who stood ready for battle. "All right! Hit him with a Quick Attack, and don't look into his eyes!" Quilava charged into Drowzee, sending him toppling backwards, avoiding eye contact but keeping tabs on the Psychic Pokemon nonetheless. Drowzee got to his feet, and there was a trace of emotion in his face now; his arms began to move in a swaying motion, and his eyes glowed blue. Quilava suddenly rose into the air, surrounded by a faint blue halo, and no matter how hard he struggled he couldn't get free. All of a sudden, Drowzee blinked, and the Confusion attack faded. Quilava crashed roughly to the floor with a squeak of pain. "Quilava, use Ember to really show him who's boss," Silver ordered, and Quilava once again sought to bathe his foe in fire; a fire which was all the more potent after eating the charcoal in Ilex Forest. Drowzee was far too slow to get out of the way, and was completely engulfed. After a second or so, Silver said worriedly, "OK, Quilava. Leave off for a moment. We don't want to cremate him, after all," Quilava stopped the flames instantly, and a very charred Drowzee swayed in front of them, the goofy expression back on its face. "Nice work, Quilava. Well, here we go... Pokeball, go!" he hurled a Pokeball and it landed close by to Drowzee, drawing him inside with its glowing red beam. It shook once, then stopped. Drowzee had been captured! Silver strutted over to the Pokeball and picked it up, polishing it for a second so Crystal could see it then clipping it to his belt.

"Wow. I didn't expect that," Crystal said truthfully.

"I could see that Drowzee was powerful, especially his Hypnosis. He may be a nefarious scavenger, but I think he'll be an invaluable member of my team," Silver explained, recalling Quilava after thanking him.

"I guess you're right. It was worth it, anyway, for the expression on your face," she teased, but Silver didn't rise to the bait, packing up his picnic stuff. When they were ready to go, Silver released Drowzee from his Pokeball so they could walk alongside each other. Drowzee was still blackened slightly from Quilava's attack, but he seemed as laid-back as usual as he strolled along without a care in the world.

"How are you, Drowzee? I hope I didn't hurt you too badly," Silver said to him, and he only shrugged, as if it was no big deal. "But you shouldn't steal food from people. It's not a nice thing to do,"

"Wow. Do you act like a mother to your Pokemon all the time?" Crystal asked innocently.

"Only to those that need mothering. That Tyrogue could do with some discipline if you ask me," Silver joked.

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue punched the air and jumped up.

"Awww. Leave poor Tyrogue alone. Togepi's the real devil in the team, trust me..." The two continued their argument until they reached the Day Care Centre; they were so absorbed in their conversation, they actually almost passed it, and were ironically alerted by Drowzee.

"Great job, Drowzee! Let's go in, shall we?" Silver complimented Drowzee, who gave him a lazy smile in return, and the four of them entered the Day Care Centre. It was small, homely and cosy, like a grandmother's house. There was an old man sitting on a creaky chair, rocking back and forth and reading a newspaper, but he got to his feet and smiled toothily as they entered.

"The Day Care Man, at your service! Or are your Pokemon of the female persuasion, in which case I shall summon the Day Care Lady," he said, bowing low as his joints creaked in protest.

"I'm sorry, we're not here to leave any of our Pokemon. But I think you should summon the Day Care Lady anyway; I have some news that I think will be important to you," The man looked at the suspiciously before hoarsely calling out for the Day Care Lady; she came in from the back garden holding a Marill with a bow on its tail.

"He says he has important news for us," the Day Care Man said to his wife and pointed at the visitors; she peered at them curiously through her thick glasses.

"Welcome, welcome. Please have a seat," she said after a second, and Silver, Drowzee, Crystal and Tyrogue were all seated and provided with refreshments before they could deliver their message, despite saying they had already had lunch and that they couldn't stay for long. Drowzee at least seemed happy with the arrangements, lying back on a cushion and eating whatever came to hand as if he belonged there. Silver unzipped his backpack and pulled Togepi out gently, sitting him on his lap so he was in full view of the couple.

"Mr. Pokemon gave me an egg a short time ago, and asked me to help it hatch. He said he got it from you. Togepi here hatched recently, whilst we were in the Ilex Forest, and as we were in the neighbourhood we thought we should drop in," Silver explained. The couple moved in closer to examine Togepi, then shared a knowing look.

"Interesting," the man said.

"Very," the woman concurred, and they retreated a short distance away to discuss in whispers what they had seen. Silver thought this rude, but he didn't want to offend them so he stayed silent, watching Drowzee pack more cakes into his seemingly bottomless stomach. Eventually they returned, and the man said,

"Have you phoned Mr. Pokemon yet to tell him of this?" Silver shook his head, and seconds later the woman was typing in his number on their video-phone in the corner. The three of them crowded around it, Silver holding Togepi up to the screen so Mr. Pokemon could see him better, whilst Crystal was left sulking with Tyrogue and Drowzee for company. It only took a couple of rings for Mr. Pokemon to pick up, and his haggard face appeared on the view screen.

"Yes? Hello? Who's this?" he asked vaguely, just as Silver remembered him.

"The Day Care Man, the Day Care Lady and a boy with a Togepi," the Day Care Man summed up quickly.

"A boy with a..." Mr. Pokemon focused more intently on the screen, first on Silver then on Togepi. His face lit up with a smile. "It hatched! My egg hatched into a Togepi! Well done, Silver I knew you could do it. Well, I'll do my best to inform the Professors of our discovery. Will that be all?" Silver was rather taken aback. He had travelled far and wide with this egg, polishing it every day and under the illusion that it was of earth-shattering importance. And now Mr. Pokemon was looking at it like it was yesterday's news.

"Don't you want to examine Togepi in person?" he asked hopefully, but Mr. Pokemon replied,

"Oh, I couldn't do that. Togepi will want to stay with its mother figure now, which I presume is you. Anyway, I have examined Togepis before, and still have my notes,"

"So you don't want me to send Togepi to you? Or leave it here in the Day Care Centre?" Silver asked, but Mr. Pokemon was already shaking his head.

"Togepi's yours now. You have done the scientific community a great service. Oh, by the way, before I forget... What did it look like whilst it was hatching?" Silver squirmed uncomfortably.

"Well, it was in my backpack at the time, so I didn't strictly see the actual hatching..." he said, avoiding everyone's gaze.

"Ah. Well, then, I must get back to my research. Day Care Man. Day Care Lady. Silver. Togepi," he nodded to each one in turn before putting the phone down, leaving Silver feeling slightly disappointed.

"At least on the plus side you get to stay with Togepi," Crystal piped up, having evidently eavesdropped. Drowzee offered him a thumbs-up and another lazy smile. Turning away before the Psychic Pokemon riled him, he walked over to his backpack and tenderly zipped Togepi back up into it, leaving his head exposed as usual.

"Looks like you're a part of the team now, Togepi," he murmured, stroking the middle head-spike and seeing Togepi smile in his sleep. Raising his voice slightly, he said, "I think me and Crystal have to go now. We have to get to Goldenrod City soon, you see; I have a Gym battle coming up," The Day Care Man and Lady escorted them to the door, thanking them for their consideration. Drowzee just managed to give them a thumbs-up before Silver recalled him to his Pokeball.

"Thanks for the hospitality," Silver said.

"Yes, it was really appreciated. By one Psychic Pokemon in particular," Crystal continued.

"Well, just remember to return should you want us to take care of any of your Pokemon," the Day Care Man smiled.

"Yes, and we'll call you if we need more eggs hatching," the Day Care Lady said, under the impression she had made a hilarious joke and just missing Silver's snarl as she closed the door.

"Oh, don't be such a sourpuss. You and Togepi were destined to be pals, obviously. Shall we get going, or do you want to wait for Christmas first?" Crystal said, tapping her foot impatiently.

"No way," Silver said, turning away from the Day care Centre and feeling strangely light after her words; she was right, him and Togepi were friends now. Just like him and Quilava, Hoothoot, Gastly, and... well, Drowzee as well, he supposed. "If I waited for Christmas, I'd have to buy you a present," He smiled at Crystal, who rolled her eyes.

"Such a caring, generous soul. Togepi must have hatched for your warm personality rather than Quilava setting your backpack on fire," she said cuttingly, and the two of them continued on to Goldenrod City and the many things that lay in wait there, good and bad.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 12**

Goldenrod City was, in a word, amazing. Neither Silver nor Crystal had ever been to a big city before, and the sheer number of people, smells, sights and sounds overwhelmed them. Advertisements flashed at them from every billboard and TV, showing the many pastimes that the city had to offer. It seemed that there was something for everyone, and more besides. People crowded the streets, concentrating on their own little worlds and ignoring everything else. It was a stark and shocking contrast to the quiet solace of New Bark Town, where everybody knew everybody else. In fact, the two of them found it so alien that they found themselves sticking to smaller roads and alleys, where less people roamed, so that they could think in peace.

"Where shall we go first?" Silver asked Crystal finally as they leant against a wall in a deserted alleyway.

"Where is there to go again?" Crystal replied tiredly. She had been if possible more overwhelmed by the scale of the city than Silver had.

"Game Corner, Radio Tower, Gym, Magnet Train, Bill's house, Underground Path..." Silver rattled them off from his Pokegear's map. Goldenrod was so full of interesting places that they hadn't a clue where to visit.

"Pokemon Centre," Crystal suddenly piped up. "There we can rest and recover from the culture shock," she said decisively. Silver could think of no better idea, so the two of them reluctantly returned to the main roads to ask for directions. An hour or two and many wrong turns later, they finally found it, and burst in like two starving people entering an all-you-can-eat restaurant. Silver wiped his brow when the door closed and shut off the sounds of the outside world.

"This is... intense," he groaned to Crystal, who nodded feebly before dragging him over to the nurse's desk.

"Good morning. What can I do for you?" the nurse asked politely.

"Can you give our Pokemon a check-up, please? And a detailed map of the city would be a great help too," Silver handed over his Pokeballs and smiled half-heartedly at the nurse, who stifled a laugh.

"Non-residents always find the fast-paced way of life in Goldenrod City strange. Don't worry, you'll get used to it eventually. Here's a map, and I'll just take these..." she scooped up the Pokeballs and slapped a paper map on the counter. "Now, if you'd like to find a couple of rooms, I'll deliver these to you as soon as I can,"

"Go with the nurse, Tyrogue. I'll see you later. Thanks," Crystal added to the nurse, who nodded and steered Tyrogue into a back room. She turned to Silver and smiled. "Just you, me and Togepi," she said.

"Shall we go and find a room? I'm feeling about as tired as Togepi," he pointed towards the Togepi in his backpack, who was, as ever, asleep. He only generally awoke to eat and play for a few minutes before falling back into a deep sleep from which nothing could shake him.

"I agree. I don't think I'll be living in Goldenrod City when I get a place of my own," Crystal concurred, and the two of them walked away to find adjoining rooms. Locking her own door and leaving her backpack inside, Crystal entered Silver's room and the two perused the map which the nurse had given them. When it was completely unfolded, it spanned several metres, so Silver draped it over the bed and onto the floor as he and Crystal looked at it.

"Any preferences?" Silver asked Crystal eventually.

"Loads. Too many to do in one day, I think..."

"Well, I definitely want to visit the Gym. And Bill's house, of course..."

"What about the Radio Tower? That'll be really cool..." Eventually they managed to thrash out a timetable in which both would be satisfied. Whilst Silver visited the Gym, Crystal would go to the Radio Tower and get a guided tour of its many floors. If Silver finished his battle before Crystal was done, he'd look for Bill's house. If they both finished at a similar time, they'd go to the Game Corner for some amusement. When they were done at the Game Corner, they would go and see the Magnet Train and perhaps get a ride to the next city if it was up and running. Their Pokemon were returned as they composed the itinerary, and Silver took the time to release and check up on them. All of them seemed their usual selves, and any injuries or scrapes they may have picked up on the road had been tended to admirably.

"Ready for my Gym battle, guys? I don't know what rules the Gym Leader here will use, but I'm confident in all of you. Even you, Drowzee," he added, but smiled to show he was joking. Drowzee smiled fuzzily and showed him a thumbs-up.

"Don't be so nasty to poor Drowzee. You're going to hold that sandwich over him for the rest of his life, aren't you?" Crystal said, referring to the occasion on which Drowzee had eaten Silver's sandwich.

"It was a nice sandwich," Silver said by way of defence, and steered the conversation back to Goldenrod City. It took them a good while to construct the day-plan in which both would get what they wanted, so they decided to act upon it the next day rather than start now and possibly go on into the night.

"What do you want to do for now?" Silver asked.

"Hmmm. I'm reluctant to leave here until necessary, to be honest... why don't we just stay in here for now? You can train your Pokemon for tomorrow's match. I'll go down to the lobby and pick up some pamphlets," Crystal suggested.

"Because we can't live without pamphlets, can we. Be sure to pick me up some flyers, leaflets and brochures whilst you're down there, OK?" She slammed the door shut without replying, and Silver chuckled. "OK, let's start training up. Quilava, you'd better concentrate on your agility; I don't want you setting fire to the room, after all. Hoothoot and Gastly, you can work on Hypnosis and Confuse Ray. Take it in turns to use it on each other. Drowzee, Drowzee... what can I do with you? Your Hypnosis doesn't need any work..." Drowzee blinked, and several items in the room, including the oblivious Togepi, were levitated into the air. "Right. Confusion attack. Yeah," Silver said resignedly. Drowzee flashed him the thumbs-up and focused on lifting any object in sight with his Psychic powers. Silver scooped Togepi out of the air and set about cleaning his egg-shell, even though it didn't really need it. He found it strangely satisfying, anyway, and as it didn't hurt Togepi he saw no harm in it. Crystal re-emerged several minutes later, her arms full of brightly-coloured slips of paper which she sprinkled over Silver like confetti.

"You did ask for them," she said impishly as he dislodged a leaflet entitled 'The Inner Workings of the Radio Tower' from his hat.

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue punched the air. The rest of the day was spent in strange harmony, despite Silver's nervousness at the coming Gym battle. Crystal sat beside him, flicking through her many pamphlets and picking out important snippets, whilst his Pokemon trained around him and he played with Togepi in a rare moment of wakefulness.

"Shall we go down for dinner?" Crystal eventually said, and Silver looked out of the window to see darkness outside.

"Wow. The day passed really quickly, didn't it?" he remarked.

"Time flies when you're having fun," Crystal replied wisely, before leaping to her feet. "Come on, Tyrogue. Let's go down to the food hall and see what's on offer. Last one there's a Slowpoke-Tail!"

"Hey! Wait up!" Silver cried as she left, and he and his Pokemon followed her haphazardly; Gastly floated around eagerly, sometimes obscuring Silver's vision and almost causing him to trip, whilst Drowzee lagged behind, taking the world on his own pace, so much so that eventually he was left behind to catch up later. Silver was half-wearing his backpack, and still clutched a now-asleep Togepi in both of his hands. When they finally made it to the food hall, they found that Crystal and Tyrogue had saved them a table just big enough for all of them, so after collecting some food for both himself and his Pokemon he sat down opposite her.

"Slowpoke-Tail," was the first thing Crystal said in a teasing voice.

"You could have at least given me some warning," Silver grumbled.

"Where's Drowzee, anyway? I can see Gastly, Quilava, Hoothoot and Togepi," Crystal counted all of them and gazed around as if she expected Drowzee to emerge from thin air.

"Don't worry about him. He'll probably reach here tomorrow morning, just in time for breakfast," Silver laughed, and Crystal joined in. Suddenly, they heard an angry shout from behind, and they turned in their seats to see what the commotion was.

"Hurry up and get out of my way, stupid!" a man with a Machamp was snarling at none other than Drowzee, who was standing in the doorway and looking completely unconcerned by the abuse.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Silver jumped to his feet and ran to protect Drowzee.

"So you're its Trainer, huh? Well, make it move, or Machamp here won't be responsible for his own actions,"

"Machamp!" Machamp rumbled, flexing its prodigious muscles.

"Come on, Drowzee. They're not worth arguing with," Silver pulled Drowzee out of the way, but the man reacted badly to the last comment.

"Not worth arguing with, eh? Well, let's see whether you'll change your tune after a battle!"

"Please stop, gentlemen! This is a place of healing, not a battle-field!" a nurse jumped between them, trying to separate them.

"Outside, then. We'll show that Drowzee who's boss, right, Machamp?"

"Machamp!" Machamp roared, raising his four arms. The two Trainers left the Pokemon Centre and stood at opposite ends of the path outside. Crystal and the rest of Silver's Pokemon had followed, and Crystal cried,

"You can beat this muscle-head, Silver!"

"Is your girlfriend a cheerleader now?" the man sneered, and Silver snarled angrily.

"Drowzee, use Hypnosis, now!" he shouted, and Drowzee waved his arms sinuously, bombarding Machamp with powerful mental pulses that the Fighting Pokemon had no hope of overcoming. Machamp staggered around for a few seconds, swiping at the air as if to use pure muscle to beat off the mental attack, before slumping to the floor, asleep. "Finish him with a Confusion attack, Drowzee! You can do it!" Drowzee's eyes glowed blue, and Machamp's heavy, rock-like body was lifted into the air, being pummelled by Psychic energy channelled by his sleepy-looking foe. Before Silver could even give another command, Drowzee had hurled Machamp away, so he crashed into his Trainer, knocking him over. The Trainer shifted Machamp's body off him and jumped to his feet; it looked for a moment as if he was going to either shout at Silver or punch him, but then he returned his Machamp and stumped off angrily, muttering about annoying kids. "Nice job, Drowzee! You really showed him!" Silver patted Drowzee on the head, and received the usual thumbs-up for his trouble.

"Yeah, you were really good, Drowzee," Crystal complimented him, then said, "You too, Silver. I've never seen you battle quite like that before," Her voice was almost shy and hesitant.

"He can insult me all he likes, but not you or my Pokemon," Silver replied, and Crystal beamed.

"Shall we go and get some rest, then? You'll need it for your big battle tomorrow. I wonder what Pokemon Whitney uses?" They had found a leaflet that had a short piece about the Gym inside, but apart from saying that the Leader was called Whitney ('The incredibly pretty girl') it didn't give any allusions as to what Pokemon she used.

"I have no idea. In the best case scenario, it will just be a girl who has no idea how to train Pokemon, with only a Tyrogue or something for company..." Crystal punched him softly on the shoulder.

"Well, I am the incredibly pretty girl, you can't deny that. But Silver, before I forget... Good luck. You deserve it," she hugged him and re-entered the Pokemon Centre, Tyrogue trailing behind. Silver stood outside for a while afterwards, pondering her words as he and his Pokemon gazed at the stars. Did he deserve good luck? Had he been a particularly good Trainer? Well, he hadn't lost a battle yet... But he hadn't been in many battles at all, he reminded himself. This was just his third badge. He was a long way off from the Elite Four just yet. Needless to say, however, he would fight his hardest, luck or no luck. And he knew, as he looked around at them all, that his Pokemon would do no less.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 13**

Silver stopped and blinked slowly as he entered Goldenrod City Gym. It was pink. The walls were pink, the floor was pink, even the many flowers were pink. There were girls both young and old everywhere, some sitting and talking, some grooming their Pokemon, some of them gazing over at Silver with interest as they watched him enter. He felt profoundly uncomfortable to be so out of place; his scruffy, dirt-scuffed clothes, reversed baseball cap and ruffled black hair were completely at odds with the well-groomed nature of the Gym and those inside. He wondered vaguely whether he had entered the wrong building and the Gym was next door. But no, the battle-field was there in the centre of the Gym. A poster depicting the Plainbadge was on the wall close by. Reluctantly he stepped forwards towards the battle-field, scanning around for anyone who looked like a Gym Leader. Crystal had left their lodgings earlier than Silver had awoken, so he had just eaten a meagre breakfast and headed straight for the Gym. He was so focused on searching and not standing out that he almost crashed into a girl directly in front of him.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," he apologised, but the girl smiled.

"Don't worry. It seems like both of us are out of place here. All this pink and perfume would unnerve any normal person," she said, and Silver laughed. The girl was about his size, and obviously similar in age. She wore typical female Trainer's clothes and an emerald green bandana, which matched her eyes perfectly. Her hair was brown and slightly longer than shoulder-length, with two main bodies separated to either side to show her face. "My name's Emerald. I'm only here because my dad made me come here; he's doing a talk at the Radio Tower today, and of course because I'm a girl I'm guaranteed to love anything fluffy and pink, so he dumped me here for now. Yes, I love the Pokemon, but the Gym Leader, Whitney, is completely different to me. She doesn't take it as seriously as I would if I were a Gym Leader. Anyway, where are my manners? What's your name?"

"I'm Silver, from New Bark Town. I'm here to challenge Whitney for the Plainbadge," Silver replied.

"Wow! Have you got any other badges? Can I see your Pokemon?" Emerald asked enthusiastically. Silver self-consciously presented his other two badges, and the admiring look in her eyes made him feel strangely proud of himself. "Come on out, everyone!" he said, and his four Pokemon emerged to greet Emerald.

"Four! You're so lucky. I'm just as old as you, but my dad says I can only get a Pokemon when I'm older. He says that's what everyone does in Hoenn, but I'm not sure..."

"Hoenn? You come from Hoenn?" Silver asked excitedly.

"Yes. Good old Littleroot Town; about the tiniest place in the world. My dad, Professor Birch, set up his lab there, so naturally everyone else had to come too. Have you heard of Hoenn, then?" she replied curiously.

"Yes. My father is the Petalburg City Gym Leader," Silver replied. Emerlad looked even more impressed.

"Hoping to follow in your father's footsteps, then? But you don't seem to favour one particular type... let me see. Quilava's fire, right? Gastly's a Ghost-type, I know that for sure, and Drowzee's a Psychic I think. Hoothoot must be a Flying type by the look of him,"

"Flying and Normal dual type. Makes him stronger against Ghost-types," Silver said, stroking Hoothoot's feathered head.

"You really seem to know your Pokemon. You should walk this Gym battle; from what I've seen, Whitney doesn't deserve the title of Trainer, never mind Gym Leader. Well, good luck, Silver. Hopefully I'll see you again some time," she said, and with one last smile she left the Gym.

"Hopefully," Silver said after her, and turned to examine his Pokemon. They had, of course, been healed at the Pokemon Centre, so they looked immaculate without exception, but after Emerald's praise they looked ten times as good. "Let's hope Emerald's not right about Whitney, guys. I want to earn my badges, but I don't want to win too easily. We don't learn anything that way. Are you ready?" They all replied with an enthusiastic affirmative, and Silver strode towards the battle-field with new heart.

"Are you here to, like, challenge Whitney?" a nearby tall girl asked, tossing her purple hair.

"Yes, I want to battle Whitney for the Plainbadge. Do you know where she is?"

"Whitney! We've got, like, a cute little challenger here for you!" the tall girl shouted, and yet another girl emerged from the scented surroundings to confront Silver on the battle-field. She had short, light pink hair, and she was very pretty. She wore a small white top and red trousers, as well as a dazzling smile.

"Hey, a challenger! Who are you, then?" she asked.

"I'm Silver," Silver replied, returning her smile.

"Ready for a battle, Silver? I'll use two Pokemon, but you can use as many as you want. Goldenrod rules, right?" she said, and moved to take her place at the other end of the battle-field.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be unfair," Silver replied, but Whitney burst into shrill laughter.

"Oh, you are a cutie! Don't worry, I'll only need my two adorable little Pokemon to fight off any challengers. Shall we start?" Feeling the eyes of the Gym's many occupants upon him, Silver replied with a nod, and returned three of his Pokemon. This was a Normal type Gym, so he was best off holding back Gastly until things got really difficult and he needed the extra help. Quilava's powerful Ember attack would also be useful, but it would be another one for when events turned against him. With Hoothoot also ready in reserve with his potent and ready Hypnosis, it was Drowzee who took the field of battle.

"You can do it, Drowzee! All we need to do is focus!" Silver encouraged him, and Drowzee nodded in silence, his sleepy eyes deceptively alert.

"Come on out, my lovely Clefairy!" Whitney cried melodramatically at the other end of the field, and the fairy Pokemon delicately emerged from the Pokeball.

"Clefairy?" Silver murmured to himself, bemused, but suddenly ticked himself off for even beginning to underestimate the foe. Clefairy could, for all he knew, be more powerful than all of his Pokemon combined.

"Drowzee, use Pound attack!" Silver ordered, and Drowzee leapt forwards into battle, arm raised to inflict a vicious blow.

"Clefairy, sing him a beautiful song!" Whitney said, and Clefairy used its Sing attack, its high voice lilting as it intoned a beautiful lullaby. Drowzee, however, was the master of sleep, and so shrugged off the potent attack with relative ease; before Clefairy could even stop singing, he landed a powerful punch that knocked the Pokemon for six, squeaking in pain and surprise. "Clefairy, no! Use your Metronome attack, and make it a good one!" Whitney said, and Clefairy hopped back to its feet, twitching its arms back and forth, back and forth, like the hands of a clock.

"Get ready, Drowzee! We don't know what to expect from this," Silver warned, and Drowzee nodded, focused on his opponent. Clefairy's arms suddenly glowed with a bright light, and Silver tensed himself against the blow that was sure to come... Electricity leapt out from Clefairy's fingers, flashing towards Drowzee at incredible speed and engulfing him in a blast of lightning. Drowzee shuddered with pain as the Thundershock struck him, but he weathered its effects admirably and stood as ready to battle as ever when it finally dissipated. "Hit back with a Confusion attack, Drowzee!" Silver said, and Drowzee's arms began to wave in sinuous motion. Clefairy stood entranced by these movements, and suddenly Drowzee's eyes glowed blue; Clefairy was wrenched off the ground by some invisible force and hurled away, slamming into the ground with great force and rolling for a metre or two before stopping dead; it had fainted.

"Clefairy, return! That was a powerful attack, but not in the league of this next Pokemon! Go, Miltank!" Whitney pouted, angry now that her beloved Clefairy had been beaten so easily. The cow Pokemon emerged from its Pokeball, a foolish smile on its bovine face. Once again Silver was taken aback by her choice. A fairy and a cow? How did she hope to beat challengers with them?

"OK to keep going, Drowzee, or do you want a rest?" Drowzee thought for a moment before resolutely deciding to stay in battle. The Thundershock had taken its toll, but he wasn't out of the fight yet. "Let's show them what we can do, right Drowzee? Use your Pound attack, but don't hold back! We don't know how strong Miltank is," Drowzee charged into the fray, arm raised for another devastating blow.

"Miltank, get ready for an Attract! This is my specialty, cutie, so watch closely," Whitney said, wagging her finger at him with a glittering smile. Before Silver could even puzzle out what Attract actually was, a sudden change came over Drowzee. He stopped in his tracks and his expression changed from battle-ready to foolish and embarrassed. His Pound-ready arm lowered slowly and he smiled fuzzily at Miltank, swaying slightly on the spot.

"Drowzee, what's wrong?" Silver cried, concerned, but Drowzee ignored him. "Use a Pound attack! Quick, whilst Miltank's off guard!" he said as a last-ditch effort, but again his words had no effect.

"Drowzee is unwilling to battle. That means Miltank wins this one, and you can't send Drowzee out again," Whitney said smugly.

"Fine. I still have three more great Pokemon to use," Silver replied through gritted teeth, embarrassed at losing Drowzee so easily through one well-chosen attack. Returning the still-grinning Psychic Pokemon, he replaced him with an ever-ready Quilava, whose back-flames erupted in expectation of the battle.

"Try another Attract, Miltank!" Once again, nothing appeared to happen, but Quilava's expression changed. His back-flames sputtered out and he approached Miltank like a cub returning to its mother.

"Not you too, Quilava!" Silver said, exasperated, but just as Whitney was about to announce that Quilava too was out of the battle, the Fire Pokemon seemed to come back to itself. Its expression changed back to normal, and its back-flames burst back into life as it once again took up a defensive stance, backing away from Miltank warily. "Great job, Quilava! I knew you were strong enough to fight it!" Silver encouraged him, and Quilava responded with distracted squeak of acknowledgement, its eyes still focused on Miltank.

"Hmm... a tougher nut to crack. You'd better use Rollout. A Rock type move can only be good against a Fire type Pokemon, right?" Silver was instantly on his guard. A Rock type move from a Normal type Pokemon? This was something he hadn't predicted; somewhat short-sighted, he admitted, but realising his mistakes now wasn't going to get him anywhere. It was how he handled those mistakes.

"Quilava, get ready to dodge it. Even if it can use Rock type moves, it isn't a Rock type itself, so it won't be resistant to your Ember," Silver said quickly, and Quilava dipped its head slightly in response. Miltank had curled up into a ball, and was becoming almost spherical as it rotated at incredible speed, before suddenly shooting off towards Quilava, intent on knocking him out. Quilava's sense of precision and skill which had helped in many battles before was no less evident here, and at what seemed to be the last possible moment, Quilava leapt over Miltank as it rolled underneath him, spraying it with a well-placed Ember attack. The flames engulfed Miltank completely, but when they died out, Miltank was still rolling faster than ever. Quilava stood stock-still for a moment, shocked at Miltank's resilience, and that was all the cow Pokemon needed. Swerving sharply, it slammed into Quilava forcefully, sending the Fire Pokemon flying backwards until he landed at Silver's feet with a muffled squeak of surprise and pain. "Come on, Quilava! You can do it!" Silver encouraged him, but it was a doomed enterprise; as much as Quilava struggled to get to his feet, his back flames eventually flickered out completely, and he flopped to the floor. Silver regretfully returned him to his Pokeball, and murmured, "Sorry, Quilava. I should've seen that coming. Have a nice, long rest. In the mean time, you can show Miltank exactly what you can do, Hoothoot!" Clipping Quilava's Pokeball back on his belt, he hurled Hoothoot's into the ring, and the Owl Pokemon emerged in a glow of red light. "Hoothoot, hover slightly above the ground so Miltank's Rollout can't get you! Be ready for my signal!" Silver ordered, and Hoothoot fluttered into the air, just out of reach of Miltank's attack. Silver and Hoothoot watched Miltank continue its incessant rolling around the outside of the battle-field, getting faster and faster as it went along, until it was a pink and white blur.

"Miltank, keep rolling! Go for the dents on the floor!" Whitney shouted at Miltank, and instead of moving in a circle, picking up speed, Miltank changed direction and hurtled towards Hoothoot. This was just what Silver had expected, although he didn't know exactly what Whitney meant by 'go for the dents'. It had to be some sort of strategy, but what was it? Too late, he saw it; by rolling over the various holes and bumps in the battle-field, created from battles long since over, Miltank started to bounce higher and higher, still a spinning globe of muscle and fat.

"Hoothoot! Hypnosis!" Silver cried desperately, and although Hoothoot complied Silver only just stopped himself from looking away; he knew that the Hypnosis had little chance of affecting Miltank, since Miltank couldn't look into Hoothoot's eyes, but what else could he do? Peck was not going to be any use in this situation. Seconds later, it was over; Miltank hit a well-placed crater at just the right speed and angle, and hurtled up into the air, slamming into Hoothoot with the force of a locomotive and ignoring its Hypnosis completely. Hoothoot was thrown backwards so forcefully that Silver had to catch him to stop any further injury. Hoothoot's eyes were completely blank as the Owl Pokemon fainted, and Silver recalled him after promising him a good long treatment at the Pokemon Centre when the battle was over. Silver felt ashamed as he watched Miltank land, then start speeding around again like a tyre. Three brave Pokemon had fallen to Miltank... And only Quilava's Ember had done any damage, which was almost negligible anyway. He had made the classic mistake of underestimating his opponent. If he had been fair, and used only two Pokemon, he would already be out of the battle. But, he reminded himself, the battle wasn't over yet. He still had Gastly, his wild-card against Normal types, so as long as he could keep out of the way of Rollout they should be able to come up with a solution. "Gastly, come on out! We need you now more than ever, buddy!" Gastly hovered over the battle-field in much the same way that Hoothoot had, but Silver knew that the Ghost Pokemon was a lot faster than his Flying counterpart. "Gastly, we'll need to use your speed to win here. If we can make Miltank miss you with its Rollout, perhaps we can confuse it. Ready?" Gastly gave its assent with an enthusiastic,

"Gastly!"

"Miltank! Keep rolling! One hit and this battle'll be, like, over already!" Whitney said, pointing directly at Gastly. Miltank rocketed towards Gastly, building up bouncing momentum on the way and getting ready to launch itself up at Gastly.

"Gastly, quick! Drop down to the floor!" Gastly dropped like a stone, and Miltank sailed right above it, before landing awkwardly; it hadn't prepared for an evasion. Finally out of its Rollout form, it staggered around for a second, completely stunned by the impromptu landing. "Now, Gastly! Hypnosis!" Silver almost screamed, and Gastly responded immediately. Zipping in front of Miltank, its eyes glowed, and waves of pure psychic power washed over the bleary-eyed Miltank. After five whole seconds of complete silence and immobility, Miltank fell backwards with a thump, snoring loudly. "This is it, Gastly! Use your Lick attack!" Silver cried, and Gastly swept in to the attack, its long ping tongue slavering. The tongue slathered itself all across Miltank's face, a powerful blow that would have paralysed and even knocked out many other Pokemon. But Miltank seemed unharmed. Whitney gave a little shriek of laughter.

"Don't you know that Ghost moves don't work against Normal types? All I have to do is wait for Miltank to wake up, and this battle will be mine!" 'Oh no!' Silver thought. He looked at Gastly, silently asking if what Whitney said was true, and a mere glance at the look on Gastly's face confirmed his worst fears. Yes, he had time to think of a strategy, but what was the use? Whitney was right. Gastly couldn't hurt Miltank, so it was only a matter of time until Gastly lost. Then it came to him; _Gastly couldn't hurt Miltank._ Feeling a silver of a plan sneak into his mind, he smiled cannily and said,

"Gastly, wake up Miltank with another Lick attack! We may as well end this one quickly!" Gastly looked at him quizzically, but he flashed the Ghost a tiny wink, and so the Pokemon complied with his orders.

"You know, you could make it easier on yourself and your Pokemon by giving up now," Whitney pointed out, but Silver shook his head.

"Even when victory seems out of reach, we'll fight to the end," Whitney shrugged, and smiled as Miltank got to her feet.

"I admire your spirit, cutie, but this one's all over. Miltank! Start up your Rollout attack again, and finish Gastly off!" Miltank curled into a ball again and span on the spot before shooting forwards, ready for action once again.

"Now, Gastly, while it's still going slowly, hit it with a Confuse Ray!" Silver shouted, and once again Gastly's eyes glowed red; pulses of invisible energy engulfed Miltank again, consuming it in a shadowy heat haze, but when it died down Miltank seemed no worse the wear. 'Don't panic,' Silver warned himself immediately. 'We won't see whether it's had any effect until Miltank attacks,' Snapping back to the battle, he said, "Gastly! Dart about all over the place!" Gastly's sinister smile widened as it flitted up, down, left and right, with no conceivable pattern and with blurring speed. Miltank was once again bouncing around, getting higher and higher all the time, and the crucial second seemingly occurred in slow-motion; it hit the crucial 'launch pad' of another crater, and hurtled into the air... But it was completely off-target. Gastly's Confuse Ray, coupled with his evasive manoeuvres, had successfully confused Whitney's Pokemon, which crashed headlong into the wall. A tremor seemed to run through the Gym itself as Miltank impacted, and was stopped cold. It painstakingly got to its feet, turned back to the battle-field, staggered forwards... and crumpled, completely unconscious.

"Oh no! Miltank, you can't have lost! Your un... un... _unbeatable_!" And with that, Silver's expectations were turned completely on their head as Whitney burst into tears, running forwards to comfort her Miltank as reams flooded down her cheeks. Silver shuffled uncomfortably, not wanting to demand the badge from the weeping girl but unwilling to leave without it. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Sorry about Whitney. She hardly ever loses, so when she does she's a bit of a cry-baby. She'll be fine in a couple of minutes, so if you'll just..." the girl's words were cut short as a flash of white light glowed from the battle-field. Everyone looked curiously over at the phenomenon, but none were more stunned than Silver; the light was coming from Gastly. But _was_ it Gastly? He got his answer when the light faded, and the Pokemon in front of him greeted him with an ecstatic,

"Haunter!"

"Gastly! You evolved!" Silver said, overjoyed, and clasped Haunter's disembodied hands in his own. "That was our most difficult battle yet, but you were incredible. Great job evolving, Haunter!"

"Haunter!" Haunter replied, and disappeared from view before rematerialising next to Whitney, pulling a funny face as it watched her tears. Whitney gave a choking laugh as she stroked Miltank and watched Haunter's foolish actions. She straightened up, wiped her face with a handkerchief and walked over to Silver.

"You beat me, fair and square. Here's your Plainbadge, cutie. You deserve it," her voice was wavering, but she smiled her pearly smile nonetheless. The Gym was slowly returning to normal, with everyone slightly put-out by Whitney's defeat, although Silver felt so light and happy that he thought he might float away. He had gotten his hard-won Plainbadge and Gastly had evolved into a powerful Haunter. Haunter himself floated around Silver with a wide smile on its face, making crazy expressions at anyone who was near and cackling to himself. 


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 14**

"I knew you could do it!" This exclamation was cried simultaneously by Scott and Crystal, and later Silver's mother, on hearing that he had won his Plainbadge. After leaving the Gym, he had found Scott waiting outside; the man hadn't been there earlier to advise Silver on what Pokemon to use because 'the Magnet Train was down', although he turned up later to listen to the post-battle report. Crystal had finished her Radio Tower tour earlier than expected, despite meeting the famous Professor Birch doing an interview, and the two of them were finding time to fit in a visit to Bill's house. She had bought Silver a badge proclaiming, 'I Rode the Waves at Goldenrod Radio Station!', which he clipped to his jacket alongside the four others; his three Gym badges and the Master Ball badge Chikorita had given him at the start of his quest. Crystal had been impressed to hear that Gastly had evolved into Haunter, and Haunter and Tyrogue seemed to get along exceptionally well; their enthusiasm and goofiness were the perfect match for each other.

"So now you have Haunter, Hoothoot, Quilava and Drowzee. A pretty cool team, if you ask me," she said as they wandered the streets, Silver studying a small version of his town map and scanning it for any mention of Bill.

"Ah! Here we are. Luckily it's not too far away; close by to the Underground Path, actually," he finally pinpointed it.

"Oh, we have to go there, just quickly. There are guys down there that give you a haircut; I think Togepi will look just darling after a makeover," Crystal said, and although Silver was hesitant he gave in.

"Blame this on your daddy if it scars you later in life, OK?" he murmured to Togepi, who presumably didn't understand a word and replied with an ecstatic,

"Togi!" and an excitable squirm. It didn't take them long to find Bill's house, and Silver stepped up to the door and rapped on it hard with his knuckles, eager to meet the man who had reportedly devised the whole Pokemon Computer System, by which people could store and trade Pokemon in cyberspace. Such a man would know a lot about Pokemon, and would be able to advise Silver on his journey; well, that was what Silver hoped, anyway. Seconds passed it silence, and Silver was just about to knock again when a placid-looking man with red hair opened the door.

"Hello," he said politely, smiling at his visitors.

"Hello. Are you Bill?" Crystal asked, as blunt as always. Bill laughed.

"Yes, I am. Are you two Pokemon Trainers here to see me?" The two of them nodded, and Bill stepped aside, waving them in. "I'll be happy to look at your Pokemon, if you want me to," he said, and the group walked into the deserted living room. Well, almost deserted; there was a Pokemon in there, sitting on a cushion with its nose in the air, looking as saintly as possible.

"Wow! Is that an Eevee? They're really rare, aren't they?" Silver asked, walking in closer to examine Eevee. Bill chuckled, and said,

"Rarer than you think. This little guy came over when I was experimenting with my latest trading device. I've no idea where he came from or how he got here, but he's real enough. Trust me," he finished darkly.

"Why? What's wrong with him?" Silver enquired. The Pokemon seemed happy enough, after all, and its coat was shiny and lustrous.

"Nothing's wrong, exactly. It's just that he's a bit of a troublemaker at times. He's already challenged several passersby to battle, and taken them on by himself. I just leave him to it now, because my words just seem to go in one large, fluffy ear and out the other,"

"A little cutie like this? Aw, come on. He's not a troublemaker, are you?" Crystal tickled under Eevee's chin, and the Pokemon squeaked with pleasure. Bill smiled wryly.

"You've caught him in his good graces. Anyway, I've been rude. What are you here to visit me for?" Silver released his four Pokemon and unzipped Togepi.

"If you don't mind, I'd like you to look at my Pokemon and see whether they're alright. If you know anything that they like to eat or anything, that would be helpful too," he said hopefully. Bill knelt down and examined the nearest Pokemon, who just so happened to be Drowzee. Drowzee seemed oblivious to the attentions and didn't even seem to move a muscle the whole time Bill was looking at him.

"This Drowzee of yours certainly has a personality. I can tell by looking at him that he's quite laid-back, but he's in great condition and by all rights his Psychic moves should be quite powerful. Could you demonstrate a Confusion attack for me?" The next hour passed in a similar vein to this; Bill looked at each of Silver's Pokemon in turn, focusing on Togepi for a while longer than any of the others, occasionally recommending foods or training exercises that could make them fitter or healthier. "All in all, they're great. Just remember the calcium treats that can help Togepi's shell get harder and shinier; they should reduce the need to polish it," Silver grunted in response, having always highly enjoyed polishing Togepi, but thanked Bill nonetheless. "Tyrogue has excellent stamina, and his strength seems to be slightly above average for a Tyrogue of that level. He should grow up to be a Fighting Pokemon of some power, but which one is hard to say right now," he said after giving Tyrogue a quick once-over.

"What do you mean, it's hard to say right now?" Silver asked, and Crystal butted in, eager to show off her own Pokemon knowledge.

"Tyrogue has a branched evolution. That means it can evolve into three different Pokemon, depending on the circumstances. But will mine be a lovely Hitmonlee, a champion Hitmonchan, or a top-notch Hitmontop?"

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue leapt up and punched the air. Bill looked out the window for a couple of seconds, seemingly deliberating something. Silver could tell that something was on the tip of his tongue, so prompted him,

"Is there something you wanted to ask?" Bill jumped slightly as his thoughts were disturbed, and sighed.

"Not a question, exactly, but a favour. You seem to be a good Trainer, and your Pokemon appear to be very happy in your care. As you're travelling around on a quest to become a Pokemon Master, you'll encounter a lot of battles, won't you?" he asked.

"Uh... I think so, yeah," Silver replied, wondering why he was being asked this.

"In that case, I'd like to make a request of you. Eevee isn't cut out for a life of sitting around and participating in research. It wants to explore and battle; if it were human, it would be a Pokemon Trainer rather than an office worker, for example," Bill explained. "Could I persuade you to take Eevee with you? I want him to be happy, after all, and he obviously isn't too happy here," Silver was taken aback.

"You want Eevee to come along on my quest?" he asked dubiously, looking at the prim Pokemon seated close by.

"If it isn't too much trouble. And I'd fully understand if it was," Bill said quickly. Silver walked over to where Eevee was perched.

"How about it, Eevee? Do you want to come along?" Eevee fixed him with its chocolate brown eyes for a second before leaping into his arms like Cyndaquil used to, nuzzling his chest.

"I believe that's a yes," Bill smiled. "But don't let that fool you. He's a tough little creature when he needs to be,"

"Oh, I never let appearances deceive me. I mean, look at Crystal; you'd never guess that she was a great Pokemon Trainer by looking at her, would you?" Crystal seemed split between being angry at the insult and delighted by the compliment, so she settled with a barbed reply;

"This coming from the boy christened as Togepi's mother,"

"Hey, Togepi christened me himself. I can't help it if he loves me," Silver replied, then turned back to Bill. "Thanks for letting us stay here, and for all the advice,"

"No problem. Before you leave, here's Eevee's Pokeball; I can't even begin to imagine what would happen if you let it run loose," Bill handed Silver a Pokeball as well as a hefty sense of trepidation. What exactly had Eevee done to deserve this reputation? After making their goodbyes once more, they unfolded the map again, searching for the Game Corner.

"Remember, you said you'd let me get a haircut before we went there, OK? In the Underground Path," Crystal wasted no time in reminding him, so they set course for the Underground Path, which was very close by. Descending into the darkness, they realised that it was merely a concrete tunnel with several shops along its length and a few people milling around. Silver released all of his Pokemon as they walked, and asked,

"Who'd like a makeover, then?" Quilava backed away as if scared, shaking his head at this mortifying prospect. Hoothoot was merely half-asleep, so said nothing on the subject, rocking back and forth on his foot. Haunter was too busy making faces at anyone who passed, and Silver reasoned that the scissors would just slide through him anyway. Togepi looked like he was trying to out-do Hoothoot in the sleeping stakes and was completely out of it, snoring quietly. Eevee was walking along delicately, its nose still in the air, as if it thought Silver's question to be beneath its dignity. Drowzee was the only one who put his hand up, smiling blearily. "You don't even have hair," Silver snapped, and Drowzee lowered his arm, but seemed completely unaffected by his Trainer's ruling.

"Sorry, Tyrogue, you don't have hair either. You can stand with me whilst I get my hair done if you want," Crystal said. "You should get a haircut too, Silver. It's getting pretty long," Silver had to admit she was right; he had always preferred close-cut hair, as it didn't get in his eyes and it needed next to zero maintenance. Besides, it was summer. It didn't take them long to find the home of the self-styled Haircut Brothers in a lavish, very shiny shop with no customers as of yet.

"Hi, are you here to get your hair done?" one of the brothers appeared next to Silver, who nodded. The brother ushered him into a leather chair, pulled his cap off and tossed it away (luckily it was caught by Quilava) and said critically, "Well, you don't keep it in very good condition, do you? How many times a week do you wash it?"

"Er... a couple, I suppose..." Silver said, stunned, before remembering why he was there. "Anyway, I only want it cut short, not completely re-done like her," he jabbed his thumb at Crystal, who was already in the chair beside his and in deep conversation with the other brother. The boy sighed and nodded, before grabbing a rather sharp pair of scissors. A few quick, precise cuts later, Silver was freed, and as he looked in the mirror he realised he now looked almost exactly the same as he did when he first set out on his journey. Except now he had three badges, five Pokemon and a Togepi.

"What about your Togepi? I think I could make it look even better than it already does," the stylist pointed to the Pokemon, who was now awake and eating some Pokemon food from Silver's backpack.

"OK, OK... just keep those scissors away from him," Silver replied, and place Togepi in a tiny chair whilst he and the rest of his Pokemon waited impatiently in a corner, flicking through a magazine and listening to Professor Oak's Pokemon Talk on the radio. It seemed like an age before Crystal and Togepi were released, and to Silver's untrained eye nothing had changed; he was not unwise enough to voice this, however, as the Haircut Brothers were now both holding scissors and he knew better than to disparage Crystal for risk of a karate chop. "You look great! Both of you," he said with as much sincerity as he could muster. The Haircut Brothers bowed together, and after paying them Silver evacuated the shop as fast as possible, dragging Crystal with him.

"Doesn't Togepi look adorable? You look nice too, Silver," Crystal added considerately.

"Thanks. Let's get going; we want to get to the Game Corner before nightfall, after all," The group walked the length of the Underground Path and luckily emerged close by the Game Corner. However, a sign outside read 'No Pokemon Inside'. "I suppose that's to stop people using Psychic Pokemon like Alakazam to predict results," Crystal said.

"We should be so lucky," Silver said, looking at Drowzee's Pokeball and shaking his head. "Anyway, we can just return our Pokemon, can't we," Crystal shifted awkwardly.

"Well... I never usually return Tyrogue. He hates it in his Pokeball, you see. And, of course, there's Togepi, so unless you want to go in without me..."

"No, no... we'll just find something else to do," Silver assured her, and her expression brightened.

"Why don't we go to the Magnet Train, then? See if we can get tickets to Ecruteak City, if it goes there..." she stopped as she saw Silver's expression. "What?"

"According to Scott, the Magnet Train isn't working. Some problem with the Power Plant in Kanto," he said regretfully, and she stamped her foot in annoyance.

"What are we going to do now?" she groaned. Silver was about to shrug, but then he spotted a poster on the wall of a building close by. 'Bug-Catching Contest – Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays! Go to the National Park for Details'. Today was Thursday!

"Apparently there's a National Park nearby, just off to the north. Look at this," he pointed to the poster, and Crystal scanned it quickly.

"Looks good. Shall we go now?"

"Anything's better than remaining in this noisy city," Silver pointed out, and Crystal shrugged at his fair point. The two of them took the long, quiet route out of the city and began their short trek north, hurrying along so they would be sure to get there in time. Perhaps it would all be over by now anyway, but if not they could hopefully still participate. Wondering at what exactly the rules were, and whether it would be anything like catching Pokemon in the wild, the two of them increased their pace. Next stop: National Park and the Bug-Catching Contest!


	15. Chapter 15

Dislcaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 15**

Silver and Crystal slowed to a halt, bent double and panting with exertion. The registration desk for the Bug-Catching Competition was fortunately still open for business, and even though they had to run here both were excited.

"Hey, look! A leaflet!" Crystal said with enthusiasm, and snatched a slip of paper off the table. It had a picture of a happy Sunkern on the front and was entitled, 'How to Get the Best out of Our National Park'. She flicked through it until she found the part which detailed the Bug-Catching Contest. "Aha! Here we go... Wow, it costs nothing to enter. But look, you have to leave all but one Pokemon with the people outside. We get given a Park Ball and the aim is to get the highest-scoring Bug Pokemon you can," she summarised.

"What does it mean by high-scoring?" Silver asked.

"Well, a high level, good condition, rarity, and all that jazz..." Crystal said absent-mindedly, stuffing it into her pocket. "Shall we sign up, then?"

"Yes, but... I don't know which Pokemon to use. It's easy for you, as you only have Tyrogue, but I have five, as well as Togepi,"

"Why don't you use Eevee? You can check out its battle skills under less pressured conditions," Crystal clicked her fingers as she came up with it and smiled.

"Good idea," Silver said gratefully.

"Can I help you?" the bored-sounding attendant asked. She wore an official ranger's uniform and was sitting at a desk underneath a Bug-decorated canopy.

"Yes, we'd like to enter the Bug-Catching Contest, please," Crystal stepped forwards.

"You're just in time for the next twenty minute slot. Sign your name and the name of your Pokemon here to register. Here's your Park Ball. You've got twenty minutes to catch a Bug Pokemon before you have to leave. Good luck!" Crystal and Silver signed their names, as well as Tyrogue's and Eevee's, before accepting the green Park Ball and entering the National Park.

"Look after the rest of my Pokemon, OK?" Silver pleaded with the attendant, and she nodded quickly, now preoccupied with the next participant. "Ready, Eevee?"

"Eee!" Eevee replied with determination.

"All set, Tyrogue?"

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue jumped and punched the air in excitement.

"Shall we travel together, or separate?" Silver asked. Crystal thought for a moment before replying,

"Let's separate. I think we can do better that way. Besides, I don't want you spying on my best moves," she tweaked his nose before running off into the underbrush with Tyrogue before he could retaliate.

"We'll show her, right, Eevee?" Silver said, rubbing his nose, but Eevee didn't reply. Silver looked around to see Eevee's tail poking out of a bush, as it had evidently wandered off without the slightest warning. "Come back, Eevee! We need to stick together if we want to beat Crystal and Tyrogue, after all," Eevee reluctantly returned its attentions back to Silver, pacifying his mood with one look from its cheeky wide eyes. "How could I stay mad at you? Come on, let's look for a Scyther or something..." The two of them walked slowly off into the Park, trying to keep quiet and moving randomly, which would hopefully bring them into contact with more Bug Pokemon. Eventually, Silver heard something rustle in a bush beside him. Tensing himself and gripping the Park Ball tightly, Silver was about to order Eevee to stand stock still, but before he could the Pokemon had leapt into the bush. It quivered wildly for a second before a tiny Weedle was ejected, followed by a triumphant Eevee. Silver sighed. "I get the feeling that you aren't going to make this easier for me, are you?" he said resignedly to Eevee, who replied with a mischievous,

"Eee!"

"Well, we shouldn't catch that Weedle in any case. It doesn't look like a prize winner to me," The Weedle looked up at him with quivering, tearful eyes, and he sighed. "OK, you look super-strong. But you aren't the right Pokemon for me at this precise time, OK?" Weedle crawled over and rubbed its head against him, but Eevee didn't like that and batted the Bug away with a Tail Whip. "Hey, leave him alone, Eevee!" It was Eevee's turn to switch on the doe-eyes, and Silver slapped his forehead. "I have a feeling that Crystal will never let me forget this day when I tell her about it. _If_ I tell her about it," he muttered, before saying, "Let's go, Eevee. Bye, Weedle," Weedle slipped back into its bush whilst Eevee walked in front of Silver importantly. Many minutes later, his luck hadn't improved. He had not seen a single strong-looking Pokemon that could let him take home the first prize, or even second or third. He checked his Pokegear, and saw that he had less than half the time left. He and Eevee increased their pace, thrashing through the undergrowth in desperation. He could see it now... the end of the competition, and Crystal had won, whilst he was the only one who hadn't caught a single Pokemon. As he pondered that terrible thought, they emerged in a clearing. But not just any clearing; a clearing that contained a large and powerful-looking Pinsir, currently stripping some bark from a tree with its huge horns to eat. "Right, Eevee, here's what we need to do..." he whispered, looking down at Eevee. But Eevee wasn't there. Covering his eyes with his hand, he turned back to the clearing and looked. Sure enough, Eevee had not only aroused Pinsir's attention but was standing in front of it in a direct challenge. Silver started to shout instructions, but fell silent as he realised Eevee would probably ignore him anyway. Pinsir slashed at Eevee with a Horn Attack, but Eevee jumped backwards easily. The second it landed, it launched itself in a Quick Attack that caught Pinsir completely unawares, sending him crashing backwards into a tree. Pinsir's horns clashed together as it attempted t seize Eevee in a Vicegrip, but Eevee slipped between the horns before they could close and fastened its tiny teeth on Pinsir's head. "Park Ball, go!" Silver thought he may as well take advantage of the situation and lobbed his Park Ball, but unfortunately the battle was still raging and Pinsir lurched out of the way, Eevee still clinging on. The ball sailed past and landed next to another Pokemon; Weedle. But not any old Weedle, either. A familiar, tiny, sensitive Weedle which was struck by the red beam and pulled inside. Silver prayed for it to escape, but no; the Park Ball sealed itself. He had caught Weedle. Wahoo. "Eevee, come back here," he said, but Eevee was already waiting for him; there was a path of broken foliage that indicated Pinsir's escape and the Normal Pokemon seemed completely unhurt and unruffled by its vicious battle. Silver stalked into the clearing and picked up the Park Ball with Weedle inside dubiously. "Weedle, come on out," he said glumly, and the Bug Pokemon emerged right beside him, purring and rubbing its head against him. Eevee took his chance to leap in and kick the Bug Pokemon away again, whilst Silver shook his head. It would be funny if it happened to anybody else, but no; it had to be him. Then he had an idea. "Weedle, I release you. Go on, and be free!" This, he hoped, would free up his Park Ball; but whether it did or not Weedle just stood there and stared at him blankly. "Let's go, Eevee. Have a good, long life here in the wilderness, Weedle!" he said with false jollity through gritted teeth. Now maybe he could get down to the serious business of winning the Contest. Stumping away with Eevee following, he checked his Pokegear again. He would perhaps have time for one more confrontation, so he needed it to be a good one. Fortunately, it didn't take him long to find a new potential capture. The Scyther that lurked, almost unseen, in a patch of long grass was an excellent specimen. It ticked all the boxes for being high level, in good condition and being a rare Pokemon, so all he needed to do was catch it and he would storm to victory. "Eevee, Quick Attack, now!" For once, Eevee listened to him, and launched itself at Scyther; the Bug Pokemon hissed with pain and rose buzzing into the air, its eyes fixed angrily on Eevee as it darted about. "You need to be quick on your feet here... Left! That's right..." Eevee just managed to dodge a Slash attack from one of Scyther's blades, and wasted no time in launching a counter-attack of its own. It managed to hit firmly with a Tackle attack, sending Scyther reeling backwards, and then once again fastened its sharp little teeth on the enemy; this time on Scyther's thin, transparent wings. Scyther fell to the floor, unable to fly with Eevee's additional weight, and set about slashing Eevee with its scythes. However, it couldn't reach Eevee in his current position, and was merely turning in circles as it fruitlessly attacked. Silver admitted a grudging respect for Eevee's battle strategy before grabbing his Park Ball once again. "Get that Scyther for me, Park Ball!" The Park Ball flew through the air, but Scyther's madly-swinging left scythe caught it in mid-flight, deflecting it and sending it careening off at an angle. It took a while for Silver to find it again, but eventually he spotted it in the grass, and hurled it again; this time, however, it merely dropped to the floor and emitted a red flash of light. Standing there, apparently ready for battle, was none other than Weedle. Yes, _that_ Weedle. Silver nearly fell over in shock and horror, and by the time he pulled himself back together Eevee had been dislodged and Scyther was gone. Weedle curled up next to Silver's shoe, finding it just the right time for a nap, before Eevee once again tapped him and sent him reeling. "I can tell what sort of day this is going to be," Silver said as he recalled the stunned Weedle, and his words were confirmed as his Pokegear chimed. His time was up. He trudged back to the Park entrance, Eevee strutting alongside him and having had a much more entertaining and profitable Contest than he had. They met back up with Crystal at the entrance, much to Silver's dismay.

"Hi, guys! How was your Contest?" she asked with a superior smirk that suggested her day at least had been a good one.

"You'll see when they give the prizes out," he replied, which was true; when he got last place, she'd know exactly how he'd done. The four of them walked over to the attendant, who was accepting their Park Balls, and sat on the grass to wait for a winner to be announced. Silver's insides were squirming. If Crystal won, she'd never let him live it down... Minutes later, a megaphone-enhanced voice cried,

"Will the most recent participants in the Bug-Catching Contest please assemble by the attendant's desk," Crystal jumped to her feet and pulled Silver up.

"Confident?" she asked him slyly. He saw no way to honestly circumnavigate that question, so stayed silent. About ten or so other Trainers had coalesced next to the desk, some of them wearing proper Bug-Catcher uniforms that made Silver especially uneasy. If professionals had entered, what chance did he have of winning anyway? The Pokemon that the various Trainers had caught were in a row in front of the desk, and Silver averted his gaze from the puny Weedle lest it let on that he was its captor. "Hey, who caught that tiny Weedle, d'you think?" Crystal pointed at the very Weedle Silver had captured and sniggered. Silver scanned the line desperately for one that looked if not inferior then equally weak, and his eyes alighted upon a Caterpie on the end.

"I think that Caterpie looks even weaker. Look at the Weedle's bright, intelligent eyes," he said lamely, but somehow this succeeded in quieting her.

"In third place was Wallace, who caught a Butterfree!" the voice announced, and Silver knew that he had no chance. Second place and first place were announced, and both were people Silver had never heard of, with Pokemon vastly superior to his own. To his horror, as everyone left with their prizes (or lack thereof), Weedle crawled over and rubbed its spike-topped head against his leg, purring again like a kitten. Crystal looked from him to Weedle for a second before bursting out into laughter.

"So you were the Incredible Weedle Boy! Wow, I can see why you caught it... a Pinsir can't compete, right?" she mocked, giggling so hard she could barely speak. However, her laughter died down as the very Caterpie Silver had pointed out slithered over and imitated Weedle, purring and rubbing its head against her leg.

"Caterpie, eh? Incredible. Why you didn't win is a mystery. A travesty, in fact," Silver said in a voice of mock respect.

"Oh, shut up. So we both screwed up. Let's release these back into their natural habitat and high-tail it out of here before we're recognised," Crystal said, and Silver was only too happy to comply. He didn't want anyone to bring this up when he was later interviewed on beating the Pokemon Champion, after all.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 16**

"According to the Pokegear, Ecruteak City isn't too far up ahead. We should be there pretty soon," Silver said, checking the device on his wrist.

"Good. After that horrible Bug-Catching incident I want to erase everything about the National Park from my memory," Crystal grimaced, before asking, "So, what sights are there to see in ol' Ecruteak?" Silver consulted the Pokegear again.

"Loads, apparently. The Gym, two towers called the Burned Tower and the Tin Tower, the Dance Theatre..."

"Dance Theatre? That sounds interesting. Maybe you could teach Drowzee ballet," Crystal joked.

"Maybe _not_," Silver replied, snapping the Pokegear shut. According to the Pokegear, it was a very old city around which many legends revolved; especially concerning Ho-Oh, a legendary Bird Pokemon. "I think Tyrogue has just the temperament for dance, though. I can imagine him as a rock star, anyway,"

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue punched the air joyfully.

"I don't think that it's rock music they'll be dancing to, somehow," Crystal said, but she sounded amused. She was tossing Kurt's Lure Ball from hand to hand as she walked, watching the sun twinkle off first the blue then the white.

"Are you planning to use that at all?" Silver asked her.

"Hmm? Oh, probably not. I'll keep it as a souvenir, though. What about you?"

"I'm thinking about it. Water Pokemon will be pretty useful to have in my team, at any rate; at the moment I've got a Psychic type, a Ghost-Poison dual type, a Fire type, a Flying-Normal dual type and a Normal type. Two Normals if you count Togepi. If we came up against a Rock or Ground type, I think we'd be in trouble,"

"I'll lend you Tyrogue, if you want. He's good against Rock types," Crystal offered, but Silver shook his head.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'd rather use my own Pokemon. You can use any of mine whenever you want as well, though," he said quickly, seeing her slightly downcast and annoyed expression. She muttered something unintelligible in response, so Silver gave up and fell back slightly so she could walk alone with Tyrogue. Togepi was now awake most of the time, and was currently squeaking for food, so Silver unhooked his backpack and fished around for some blocks of Pokemon food to feed to the Pokemon, who was still zipped up on his back. The rest of his Pokemon, meanwhile, were having some fresh air and walking along behind. Eevee was at a slight distance to the others, as if he felt himself to be superior to them, and his others had long since given up on trying to communicate with him. As they walked in silence, Silver suddenly spotted a familiar-looking tree by the roadside, except this time it had black fruits hanging from it. He had seen a similar tree outside Kurt's house, and so knew the fruits to be Apricorns. "Hey, Crystal! Look, an Apricorn tree," Crystal turned and looked at the tree, walking closer to examine it further.

"I wonder what type of Pokeballs Kurt makes out of Black Apricorns?" she asked curiously.

"Well, I think it might be something to do with Dark type Pokemon. That would make poetic sense, of course..." Silver replied eagerly, glad to have got her back in conversation and using one of her pet phrases to further ameliorate her. She looked at him and smiled.

"And Apricorns are of course noted for their poetic sense," she replied with one of his own choice retorts, and as they walked away they were side-by-side once again. Neither of them liked having arguments no matter how mild, and neither had any desire to go their separate ways. Silver had gotten used to Crystal's presence and her quirky sense of humour, and whenever he suggested something he had grown to expect Tyrogue to jump up and punch the air happily. He suspected that Crystal felt the same way about him and his Pokemon, although her focus unfortunately seemed to be on Drowzee. As predicted, it didn't take them long to reach Ecruteak, and it was another brace of culture shock after the crazy pace of Goldenrod City. Instead of tower blocks and dozens of shops, Ecruteak City contained several old and antiquated buildings with traditional architecture, each with their own individual histories. The two towers dominated the sky-line, although one of them seemed crumpled and blackened; obviously the Burned Tower. The Tin Tower, shiny and imposing, was far more impressive than the tallest skyscraper in Goldenrod City, and it gave off an almost menacing and sacred air. According to the Pokegear, the Ecruteak City Gym was close to the Tin Tower. "Shall we go to the Pokemon Centre first, to rest our feet? I think a visit to the Poke-Mart is needed as well, I'm running low on supplies..." Crystal said absent-mindedly.

"Well, if you give me a list of what you need, I'll go to the Poke-Mart for you. You can check us into the Pokemon Centre whilst I'm there," Silver said, recalling all his Pokemon into their Pokeballs.

"Sounds like a plan," Crystal clicked her fingers and accepted his Pokeballs as well as his backpack and the included Togepi, scribbling down on a piece of paper what she needed and handing it to Silver.

"Thanks. See you soon, OK?"

"Sure. I'll try and get you a comfy room, but if there's only one available, I'll assume you'll do the chivalrous thing and let me have it," Crystal smiled sweetly before heading off down the road, Tyrogue holding several of Silver's Pokeballs and his backpack slung on her back. Silver sighed and rolled his eyes before heading leisurely for the Burned Tower; according to the town map on his Pokegear, the Pokemon Mart was is its shadow. Besides, he wouldn't miss a chance to visit somewhere a Legendary Pokemon had once lived. As he strolled past it, he stopped in his tracks to properly examine it. It was certainly in a terrible state; several of the upper floors had collapsed in on each other, and their roof tiles stuck up at odd angles or else littered the ground outside it. Huge, charred holes were burned in the walls, giving passersby a good enough view into the blackened, twisted and unrecognisable rooms inside. Silver shook his head in wonderment; according to the legend, Ho-Oh itself had set the Burned Tower ablaze with its fiery attacks, for a reason lost in the mists of time. Any one Pokemon that could wreak such incredible havoc would have to be one of the most powerful creatures in the world.

"Amazing, isn't it?" a chilling whisper came from behind, and he turned with dread to see that his worst fears were confirmed. A boy was standing there with long red hair and dark clothes, staring not at him but the Burned Tower and gripping a Pokeball tightly, as if he wanted to crush it in his grip. Gold walked up and stood beside him as if they were old friends. "Such power... Only Ho-Oh is fit for a strong Trainer like me. A weakling like you wouldn't stand a chance against such a powerful creature," he seemed to come back to himself after that insult, and turned to glare at his rival. "Battle. Now," he said shortly.

"I can't. My Pokemon are at the Pokemon Centre, with Crystal," Silver said as confidently as he could.

"What? You relinquished your Pokemon? You're more foolish than I thought. What's to stop her running away with them all? Then you'd be sorry. Then you'd have proved just how much of a weakling you really are," Silver was getting tired with his insults.

"Crystal's my friend. She'd never run away with my Pokemon. Haven't you got any friends? Oh, I forgot... even your Pokemon didn't seem to like you," he said, crueller than was necessary but wanting to prove that he was more able than Gold thought. To his surprise, Gold's face twisted into a grim smile.

"No, I have no friends. Friends are for weaklings and losers. I don't need friends. My Pokemon are my loyal soldiers, and they obey my every command; that's all I want," he replied coldly. There was silence for a few tense seconds, before Silver broke it.

"Well, I have to pick some things up from the Pokemon Mart, so if you'll excuse me..." he made to walk around Gold, but Gold moved to bar his path, still smiling that awful smile. "I've already told you, I can't battle you. Maybe tomorrow," he snapped, but he could barely stop his voice from wavering. There was a strange light glinting in that boy's eyes, make no mistake...

"Tomorrow can wait. I live for the moment. Magnemite, come on out!" A spherical Pokemon with two magnets attacked hovered in front of Silver, an angry look in its single eye. "Show the weakling your Thunder Wave!" Electricity crackled at the end of Magnemite's magnets before blasting at Silver. He cried out with pain as the high-voltage bolts electrocuted him, as he felt like every fibre of his body was being burned. He sank to his knees, still consumed by the horrendous raw power of the Magnemite's vicious attack, but unable to break free. "Now Tackle him," Gold replied, trying to sound bored, but Silver could hear the indecent excitement in his voice. Magnemite's steel body crashed into Silver's skull and knocked him unconscious, although his muscles still twitched from the aftermath of the Thunder Wave. "Ha! I told you that you were weak. Can't even handle a Tackle attack! But just wait. When you have your Pokemon back, we'll really prove how pathetic you really are," Gold gloated over his foe's fallen form and strode away with Magnemite hovering beside him, triumphant at last. When Silver woke up, he found he was in a bed, and as he reached up to pacify his throbbing head he realised it was stiffly bandaged. Crystal appeared above him as he groaned, the memories flooding back. Through his bleary eyes he could see that Crystal was trembling, and her own eyes were red as if she had been crying.

"How are you?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"Where am I?" he groaned in response, avoiding her question as he didn't really feel up to describing how his body tingled unpleasantly.

"The Pokemon Centre. When you didn't come back, me and Tyrogue came out looking for you, and found you unconscious outside the Burned Tower with a nasty bruise on your head. What happened out there, anyway?"

"Gold," Silver replied, still rubbing his head. Crystal grabbed his hand in her own cold one and pulled it away.

"Don't touch your bandages, the nurse said your skull might have been cracked and we need to leave it alone until it heals. And did you say Gold?"

"Yeah... he ambushed me by the Burned Tower, before I could even reach the Poke-Mart. He sent out a Magnemite and made it attack me..."

"He made the Magnemite attack you? When you had no Pokemon?" He saw her tremble with rage. "That guy needs some attitude adjustment! And I think I know just the way to accomplish that... ready, Tyrogue? Let's see if he can take me on, Trainer-on-Trainer," she said viciously, and actually made to leave before Silver stopped her.

"No. Don't sink to his level. When we next meet, I'll have my Pokemon with me, and we'll see who's the weakling. But if you go out and thrash him one-one-one, we'll be just as bad as him. And I never want to have his sort of relationship with my Pokemon," He looked around to see that his Pokemon were, in fact, crowded around him, listening to his every word. "Hi, guys," he smiled as best he could. Togepi struggled to climb up onto the bed, and Crystal lifted him up so that he could cuddle his adoptive mother.

"Togi," he squeaked tearfully.

"Don't worry, Togepi. I'll be alright," Silver stroked his middle head-spike and he squirmed comfortably. Quilava took that chance to leap up on the bed like a cat and curl up on Silver's legs, warming him. "How many times, Quilava? You aren't as light as you used to be. Besides, I don't want you to set fire to the blankets; I've already survived an electrocution and a skull-cracking Tackle today with third-degree burns added to the mix," he said, but secretly he was pleased by the Pokemon's attentions. Hoothoot fluttered up and perched on the end of his bed, peering at him wisely, whilst Eevee sat curled-up on a chair close by, fixing him with his chocolate-coloured stare. Haunter was still making strange faces in an attempt to cheer Silver up, morphing his own face so it was similar to a caricature of Crystal's and moving his mouth in time whenever she spoke. He had to disguise his laughter as coughing as Crystal seemed to get more and more agitated, not knowing what was causing him such mirth as Haunter disappeared whenever she turned her head. Drowzee, on the other hand, merely spared him a smile and thumbs-up, but after his encounter with Gold he was happy to see even the relaxed Psychic Pokemon.

"So what do you want to do today?" Gold asked Crystal painfully, who laughed.

"Well, nothing, of course. I'm not leaving you in here alone whilst I go and have fun!" Silver was grateful for her support, but wondered what she was going to do whilst he slept and healed. When he asked her, she merely pulled a wad of leaflets from her pocket which were all about Ecruteak City. Later in the day, after Crystal had read out a bemusing set of reviews from the latest Dance Theatre performance, Scott popped into the room to say hello.

"Slow down, champ in the making! Keep at this pace and you'll end up seriously hurting yourself," he joked, indicating Solver's bandaged head.

"Good afternoon to you too. How come you're here in Ecruteak?" he asked as his head gave a particularly painful throb.

"Well, to be present for your Gym battle, of course. I can't miss a single chapter of this riveting tale," he said, and Silver shook his head in bewilderment. His journey was hardly the stuff of stories, after all! "Anyway, I wanted to catch you before you got to the Gym. The Leader, Morty, is a super-cool user of Ghost Pokemon. You'll have to be really careful against him. Nice Eevee, by the way," he said, pointing to the Normal Pokemon still curled up on a cushion.

"Thanks. Ghost Pokemon, eh? Well, Hoothoot will be the obvious choice, then. Ready for a battle, Hoothoot?" Hoothoot trilled excitedly in reply. Silver's head fell back on his pillow as he contemplated the coming battle. Ghosts were nothing to laugh at, but he knew his Pokemon would be up to the challenge. He rubbed his head ruefully. He only hoped that _he_ would be...


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 17**

Silver adjusted his bandages fruitlessly as he pushed open the door to the Gym; his head still throbbed, but a good night's sleep had done him the power of good, adn he felt fit enough to take to the battle-field yet again. As he entered the Gym, he realised that it was unmistakably home to Ghost-type Trainers. It was dark, darker than any of the previous Gyms, and the wind whistled through the rafters eerily, as if spirits dwelled above them. The battle-field itself lay across a deep pit; there seemed to be no visible way across it. However, there was a man meditating in the centre of the battle-field, so Silver called out to him.

"Excuse me! Are you the Ecruteak Gym Leader?" The man's eyes snapped open and he climbed to his feet. He moved closer to the edge of the pit so that Silver could see him better before speaking. He was tall and obviously several years older than Silver, and his hair was shining blonde. He was dressed in primarily light-blue clothes, and wore a headband of some sort which was decorated with some odd symbols. He stood in a relaxed pose and smiled at Silver in a way that seemed far too laid-back and even confident for Silver's liking.

"The pit's a test. You have to get over it with your Pokemon's help, or else I won't battle you. Trainers need to be good with their charges under all situations, not only fights. However, I think you'll succeed," the man said enigmatically, before retreating back into the shadows to watch. Great, a puzzle. Just what he needed with a mega-headache. What did he mean, he'd have to use his Pokemon to cross the chasm? Hoothoot was far too small to carry him, and Drowzee couldn't levitate him over the pit without most likely exhausting himself. Eevee was no use in this situation, and he couldn't see how Quilava of Haunter could help either. He rubbed his pounding head as closed his eyes as he struggled to think. All of a sudden, an idea sprang to his head.

"Hoothoot, use your Foresight on the chasm! There must be a bridge of some sort, or else people wouldn't easily be able to get to and fro across the pit," he said. Hoothoot burst from his Pokeball and hooted his understanding, and after a few seconds of tilting slightly back and forth, red beams sprang from his eyes, widening until they enveloped the entire pit. Seconds later, Silver knew he had made the right decision. Clear as day, there was a path over the pit, and although it zigzagged a bit it seemed perfectly stable. "Great job, Hoothoot! Let's go," Under Hoothoot's discerning gaze, the bridge stayed visible, and the hopping Owl Pokemon led the way with a slightly unnerved Silver behind him, who was urging himself not to look down. When he finally made it across, he found that the man was waiting for him, leaning against the wall and seeming supremely unsurprised.

"I knew you'd do that. My visions are getting clearer and clearer... When I've beaten you, I'll finally be able to determine a future where I meet one of the greatest Legendary Pokemon in the world. That will show everyone that I'm destined to be one of the most powerful Trainers ever..." Morty stared into space for a few seconds, seemingly lost in what was to come, before Silver cleared his throat. "Ah, yes. My name is Morty, as you may well know. I'm the Leader of Ecruteak Gym, and I'll be glad to accept your challenge. Fourth badge, right?" Once again the man's seeming future sight rattled Silver slightly.

"Er... yes. Do you have any particular rules?" he asked, wanting to bring the conversation back to a realm he understood.

"Three each. As usual, you can make substitutions, but I can't. Strangely, I don't know which way this battle will fall..." The Gym Leader was silent again as he contemplated the future, before Silver coughed again. "Right. The battle. Shall we take up our positions?" Silver stood at one end of the pitch and Morty at the other; a change seemed to come over the Gym Leader as they stared at each other over the battle-field. Suddenly he seemed alert and ready, and there was a dangerous and somewhat arrogant gleam in his eyes. "Let's do it," was all he said, before releasing his first Pokemon. It was, somewhat unsurprisingly, a Gastly. Silver thought quickly about which Pokemon to use. As a Psychic, Drowzee would be strong against the half-Poison type of Gastly and any evolutions, so he was a must. Hoothoot's Foresight would be invaluable in battle, especially when he needed to resort to physical attacks to win the day, and Eevee, as a Normal type, would be immune to Ghost-type moves.

"Drowzee, come on out! Show them your Confusion attack!" Drowzee emerged and he began moving his arms slowly, building up the Psychic power within himself to hurl at Gastly, but the foe was too quick; so fast, in fact, that Silver barely saw him move. Before he knew what was happening, Gastly's legendary tongue was at work again, and Drowzee was the victim of a super-effective Lick attack. Sweat appeared on Drowzee's brow as Gastly backed off slightly, grinning, and his limbs froze in place.

"D... Drowzee..." the Pokemon said in a strained voice. Paralysed! Silver's hopes fell, but he rallied almost instantly and called to Drowzee,

"Don't worry, Drowzee! You don't need to move to use your Psychic powers! Just focus on Gastly..." Drowzee, with great effort, moved its eyes to look directly at Gastly; suddenly they glowed bright blue, and the space in between the two Pokemon seemed to ripple with glowing energy waves. The blue arcs and bolts slammed into Gastly, enveloping it in a blue aura and wiping the grin off its face. When Gastly finally managed to break free of the coalescing psychic field, Drowzee's Paralysis had worn off and they were back to where they started. "Well done, Drowzee. That was a really good Confusion attack," Silver encouraged, and Drowzee gave him a small, tired smile. "We can't beat him on speed, so we'll have to focus on power. Slow him down with your Hypnosis, then flatten him with another Confusion!" Silver said. Drowzee raised his arms to begin the hypnotic attack, but Morty and Gastly had not twiddled their thumbs since the last Confusion attack. Red circles of energy emanated from the Ghost's eyes, growing larger and larger as they flooded through Drowzee, focusing on his head. Drowzee's arms slowed, as if he had forgotten what he was doing. "Drowzee! He's used a Confuse Ray! Don't let it distract you!" Silver shouted, knowing deep down that his words would make little difference, but he couldn't think of what else to say as his head was wracked with painful pangs yet again. However, after a second of palpable tension in which Drowzee stayed motionless, the Psychic Pokemon launched its own mental attack, and it was Gastly's turn to be swamped in mental energy. The Pokemon's eyes drooped, then closed, and it began to sink lower and lower until it touched the floor, asleep. "Great job, Drowzee! Finish him off with a Confusion!" Drowzee's arms moved faster and faster, and Silver could feel the energy of a really powerful attack building up, but suddenly something went wrong. Gastly's Confuse Ray had apparently disrupted Drowzee's own mental signals in some way, and the failed Confusion attack wracked Drowzee with its uncontrollable feedback. The Psychic Pokemon staggered backwards, almost overwhelmed by the energy it struggled to control, but despite clearly being hurt, with a more focused thought he brought the attack back under control. Another wave of blue energy flooded towards Gastly, but larger, more powerful, and more complete. It hammered into Gastly with tangible force, throwing up a cloud of dirt, and when it finally cleared Gastly's eyes were rolling in its head.

"Gastly, return. You did well," Morty said, and Gastly was recalled. "That was a good battle; it could have gone either way. But it only gets more difficult. Haunter! Go!" Haunter glided into the arena, a wicked smile on its face below its mischievous eyes.

"Drowzee, return. Have a rest until you're in a fit state to battle again. Hoothoot, you're up next!" Hoothoot fluttered down to the floor and gazed at Haunter with wide, knowing eyes. "This should be just your sort of battle, Hoothoot. You're partly Normal, so you can avoid his more vicious Ghost-type attacks, but you can also use Foresight, which makes him vulnerable to _your_ attacks. Let's make this one for the record books, shall we?" Hoothoot trilled confidently in response.

"Confidence is good. Makes the victory all the more satisfying," Morty said, and stood back to await Silver's first move. This took Silver aback; Haunter was at the definite disadvantage here, and yet Morty was still as laid-back as ever.

"Hoothoot, start off with your Foresight!" Silver said, cautious but not overly so. Red beams sprang from Hoothoot's eyes again, bathing Haunter before he could move. Haunter hissed in displeasure as the beams shone upon him, but he weathered them and looked no weaker when they finally faded. Silver was thrown completely off-guard now; Haunter could have at least tried to dodge Foresight. Finally, Morty spoke.

"Haunter, use your Hypnosis attack!" Powerful waves of Psychic energy surrounded Hoothoot and traced dazzling patterns in the air, entrancing the owl and overcoming him before he could move a feather. His almost spherical body plummeted to the ground as he was put into a deep sleep. Silver was momentarily stunned by the speed and power of Haunter's attack, but Morty didn't stop there; "Haunter, hit him with a Dream Eater!" he cried. Haunter floated over to Hoothoot at an embarrassingly leisurely pace, and stopped directly above his forehead. His disembodied hands floated down and touched Hoothoot, and red, crackling bolts of energy flooded up the fingers and into Haunter, draining Hoothoot's energy and giving it to the Ghost.

"Hoothoot, return!" Silver cried, seeing Hoothoot's defeat on the cards should he allow the Dream Eater to continue. The red beam from the Pokeball struck Hoothoot, and the Owl Pokemon was pulled out of range of Haunter's attack. "Sleep it off in there. You did well; Haunter's vulnerable to physical attacks now. And that's your signal, Eevee!" Eevee landed gracefully on the battle-field, its nose in the air as usual. Haunter gave a derisive cackle as it watched Eevee's prim entrance, but Morty said,

"Don't forget, you're vulnerable to his attacks now. Don't let your guard down," Haunter's laughing ceased, but his wicked smile remained.

"Ready, Eevee? Hit him with a Quick Attack!" Eevee's eyes lit up with a mischievous joy as it lanced towards Haunter, a glowing trail behind it. Even the Ghost Pokemon wasn't fast enough to dodge it; Eevee slammed into it and battered it away before landing perfectly. Haunter shook its head slowly to clear it, and hissed at Eevee, the smile having been wiped off its face. Before either Morty or Silver could say another word, Eevee leapt back into action; turning its back on Haunter, it kicked up a cloud of dust and dirt into the Ghost's eyes, before pivoting again and leaping through the cloud into a perfect Tackle. Eevee landed directly on top of Haunter, and pushed him down to the ground with a thump. Haunter's eyes were closed and its hands were completely limp; it had fainted. Silver sighed. "Good job, Eevee, but I wish you'd let me take command every once in a while,"

"Eee," Eevee squeaked in smug satisfaction. Silver smiled wanly, but he felt perversely grateful that he hadn't had to shout orders and risk making his headache worse.

"That was... unexpected. But Eevee won't be able to use those tactics on Gengar!" Morty said; he was a shadow of his former calm self having lost to the overenthusiastic Eevee, and slammed Gengar's Pokeball into the ring to release its occupant. Gengar stood in silence, its narrow red eyes gleaming with trickery and its huge white smile stark against its short indigo fur.

"Eevee, return. Drowzee, get ready for round two!" Silver saw that Eevee was useless here and sent out Drowzee again. Although he had all three Pokemon left, he was still nervous; Drowzee was tired, Hoothoot was sleeping and Eevee couldn't hurt Gengar at all until Foresight was applied to it. Gengar, however, was fully rested, and being a fully-evolved Ghost type he wouldn't be a pushover even in the best of situations. Drowzee emerged from his Pokeball looking even more sleepy than usual, still bearing scrapes and scuff-marks from his battle with Gastly, although he took up a battle stance readily enough. "Drowzee, Confusion!" Silver ordered, and Drowzee's eyes glowed blue yet again as he drew Psychic energy to himself, his waving arms acting as a focus before he unleashed it on Gengar.

"Gengar, dodge it! Then use Shadow Ball!" Morty ordered sharply. Gengar leapt out of the way of Confusion with terrifying ease, and in a matter of seconds he had created and hurled a ball of crackling darkness at Drowzee. The Pokemon was too weak to get out of the way, and the Shadow Ball impacted like no other attack Silver had ever seen. Drowzee was hurled up into the air as the vicious blow struck him, and he had fainted even before he crashed unceremoniously to the ground. "Ghost type moves are strong against Psychics," Morty said with a thin smile; the battle was finally getting back on track. Silver was momentarily stunned by the Shadow Ball attack, but came to his senses and recalled Drowzee.

"Hoothoot, it's up to you. Just hit him with a Foresight and we'll win, OK?" He didn't really believe it, but he didn't want to demoralise his team either. Hoothoot's prone form emerged from the Pokeball, still sound asleep.

"Gengar, hit Hoothoot with your best Dream Eater," Morty ordered with terrible finality, and Gengar darted swiftly over to apply some more of its lethal attentions. Silver had never seen a Pokemon move so fast or attack so hard in his life. More crackling red bolts were ripped from Hoothoot's forehead as Gengar focused its power on the Psychic attack, drawing out the Owl Pokemon's power and siphoning it into himself. Silver could barely watch as Hoothoot got weaker and weaker. How could he beat Gengar? He was too strong, too fast... and even if he hurt him, he'd replenish his health with a Dream Eater attack. His hopes received a slight boost as Hoothoot's eyes snapped open, bleary but determined, and it beat Gengar away with a vicious peck before landing resolutely in front of Silver, finally ready to battle again. Silver punched the air and cried,

"Alright, Hoothoot! Here's where we turn this battle around!" Hoothoot chirped in response, its huge eyes narrowing as it focused on its foe.

"We can still beat him, Gengar. Use a Hypnosis to put him back to sleep!" Morty ordered, and waves of energy throbbed from Gengar's eyes as it sought to disable its opponent once again.

"Hoothoot, Foresight!" Silver cried, and red beams like those of a searchlight sprang from Hoothoot's eyes, blasting through the Hypnosis and enveloping the unsuspecting Gengar, whose smile slipped as it gave up its Hypnosis and concentrated on escape. "Well done Hoothoot! Now, return! Eevee can take it from here!" However, Hoothoot hopped out of the way of the Pokeball's beam, trilling with anger as it gazed upon Gengar, who looked set to fight back. "You want to keep fighting? OK, then. Use Peck attack!" Hoothoot sped into close combat like a feathery orb, bringing its beak down time and again onto Gengar's skull. The Ghost hissed in pain and ducked backwards to escape, revenge in its eyes.

"Gengar, Shadow Ball!" Morty said, forgetting in his anger that Hoothoot was part Normal. The ball of darkness throbbed in between Gengar's palms for a second before being hurled viciously at Hoothoot. The Owl Pokemon twitched slightly mid-flight and avoided it by a hairsbreadth, slamming into Gengar in a vicious Tackle attack. The dust thrown up by the Shadow Ball clouded the fight, and when it cleared the battle was still raging even worse than ever. Hoothoot was fluttering around Gengar whilst the Ghost retaliated with thrown Shadow Balls, crackling rays of Night Shade and pulses of Hypnosis. The fierce clash defied all of Silver's and Morty's commands as the Pokemon took it into their own hands to make an end of the opponent, and eventually the trainers stopped trying, content to watch wide-eyed as the battle unfolded without them. At one point Gengar seemed to be winning... then Hoothoot took the upper hand. And vice versa. Hoothoot got in a critical Peck attack. Gengar slowed Hoothoot with a Confuse Ray. Neither were holding back, and neither looked like they were going to fall any time soon. But suddenly, it was over. Hoothoot managed to get behind Gengar and launch a Tackle attack, throwing the Ghost face-first into the mud. Perching on his toppled opponent, Hoothoot finished him off with a resounding volley of pecks, before cooing in victory and glowing in bright light. Suddenly, it was not Hoothoot who was the victor in the battle. It was Noctowl. Hoothoot had evolved! It had all happened so quickly, neither Morty nor Silver had taken it in, but eventually feeling returned and Silver ran onto the battle-field, throwing his arms around the much larger and more proud-looking Noctowl that stood before him, occasionally turning its head one way or another.

"Noctowl, you did it! You were amazing. The next thing you know, we'll be back in the Pokemon Centre, and you'll be resting up with the rest of your friends," He recalled Noctowl as quickly as he could without seeming ungrateful; the Owl Pokemon seemed close to fainting, and had certainly not come out of the match unharmed. Gengar had also been recalled, and Morty plunged his hands into his pockets, a sad but impressed look on his relaxed face.

"You know, I think that battle may have broadened my visions after all. It was one of the finest battles I've ever had, anyway, and I'll make sure to learn from it. Here's your Fogbadge; remember me when you look at it," Silver pinned the badge to his jacket alongside the others and shook Morty's hand.

"I will remember you, Morty, if only as one of my toughest opponents. I can only hope that my Haunter can become as strong as yours one day. Maybe it will even evolve into a Gengar someday..."

"If you work hard enough, anything is possible. So if you and Haunter want Haunter to evolve, he will, in time. Thank you for the battle once again. You may leave," Morty seemed ashamed by his defeat, so Silver staggered back across the bridge and exited the Gym as swiftly as possible, not wishing to antagonise the Gym Leader further. Once outside, he leant against the wall and took a deep breath. He had done it; after the toughest battle he had ever had, he had not only claimed an elusive Fogbadge but Hoothoot had evolved into a powerful Noctowl. Not only that, his headache seemed lessened, although that was largely irrelevant. Crystal was suddenly beside him, having been playing outside with Togepi and Tyrogue, and she non-too-surreptitiously scanned his jacket for evidence of the Fogbadge. She squealed and clapped her hands as she spotted it, and hugged Silver in congratulations.

"Well done! Nice badge... shaped like a ghost, too. Very stylish,"

"Not only that, but Hoothoot evolved into Noctowl. I've heard they're all the rage in Kanto this season," Silver joked, releasing the swaying and battered Noctowl, whose eyelids fluttered up and down as it struggled to stay awake. "Ah. Maybe you should say hi when he's been healed at the Pokemon Centre," Silver admitted, returning him safely to his Pokeball. "Where's Scott, anyway? I thought he'd be here,"

"He's already left. He said he had a long way to go in a short period of time... anyway, he told me to congratulate you if you won. _When_ you won, I mean," she hastily corrected. "Anyway, tell me all about the battle. I've been looking forward to it," The two of them walked slowly back to the Pokemon Centre as Silver described his Gym Battle in as much flourishing detail as he could muster, unaware that they were being observed from the shadows by a certain boy with long, red hair.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 18**

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _Silver snapped awake as the Pokeball-shaped alarm clock on the bedside table chimed its high-pitched notes. He groaned and gripped his head, hand groping for the alarm clock to disable it by any means necessary. His bandages had been removed, but his head was still tender, and pangs of pain jolted through it whenever a particularly loud or shrill noise was close by. Like now. Finally, he managed to find it, and slammed the top. The noise ceased and glorious silence prevailed. But setting the alarm had been necessary; they had booked in to the earliest performance at the Dance Theatre today, and wanted to leave Ecruteak City as soon as possible for the long trek to Olivine City, the seaside port that hopefully concealed Silver's next Gym badge. They had heard that the Burned Tower and Tin Tower were not open to the public, after all, and they hadn't had a particularly enjoyable stay here due to Silver's injuries, so they had no reason to linger. Suddenly there was a knocking on the door and Silver's head throbbed again.

"Who is it?" he croaked.

"Me, of course, sleepyhead," Crystal said impatiently. "Now did you hear your alarm or not? Come on, we haven't got much time for breakfast!" Silver dragged himself out of bed and dressed as quickly as possible, not willing to risk her wrath. He collected up his Pokeballs, along with the sleeping Togepi, his backpack and the Dance Theatre tickets, and opened the door. "You look terrible. Another rough night?" Crystal asked in concern as she saw him.

"Subtlety has never been one of your strong points, Crystal. I think my headache's dying down at last; we'll see what effect the music at the Theatre has on it," Silver replied sleepily as they trudged down to the breakfast hall.

"Well, if it's too much to bear, we can always leave for Olivine City early," Crystal said. She may not be subtle or have a way with words, but Crystal was as kind and caring a person as Silver had ever met.

"Thanks, Crystal. Sorry if I seem a bit irritable, it's just that Magnemite's Tackle really shook me up..." he replied, and Crystal touched his shoulder sympathetically.

"When we see Gold again, he'll pay, you'll see. But let's not think about him right now; it might spoil our appetite," The two of them foraged enough food for themselves and their Pokemon before sitting at a table in the corner, where they would be undisturbed. As he ate, Silver counted the tickets as he had done many times before. Me, Crystal, Tyrogue, Quilava, Togepi, Drowzee, Eevee, Haunter, Noctowl... yep, they were all there. The tickets had been cheap, so Silver had splashed out on individual seats for all of his Pokemon so they could enjoy the show as well. When he had reassured himself of their number several times over, he got back to his eternal pursuit of polishing Togepi's shell. Crystal, however, kept making tutting noises and tapping her feet, so he put Togepi aside and finished off his breakfast quickly so they could leave as soon as possible. When all of their Pokemon had finished eating, and had been returned to their Pokeballs (except for Togepi and Tyrogue, of course), they paid the nurse and left. They didn't plan to return, anyway, so they took the time to check out.

"Come on! We're going to lose all the best seats," Crystal whined as he lingered by the desk to thank the nurse, and she dragged him away before he could even give her an apologetic look. The Dance Theatre was one of the oldest and most elaborate buildings in the entire city, and boasted incredible and beautiful architectural features. There was a glossy time-table of events outside, along with pictures of the eponymous Kimono Girls, who would be the stars of the show.

"Wow... they all look the same!" Silver noticed, and Crystal giggled.

"Dancing clones. Now I've seen it all," she said as they entered.

"Dancing clones with an evolution of Eevee each. All five of them," Silver pointed out. He was looking forwards to seeing these Pokemon more than the dancing itself, he confessed to himself. His own Eevee could evolve into any one of them, after all. Silver released all of his Pokemon and they sidled into the Dance Hall past an extremely dubious attendant, who said,

"Er... enjoy the show!"

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue jumped and punched the air in anticipation. Silver felt extremely strange as people actually turned their heads to look at them all. Nobody else, he lost no time in noticing, had brought their Pokemon along...

"Ignore them. Just because they don't think their own Pokemon are cultured enough to appreciate it," Crystal said sniffily, choosing not to notice the gurning Haunter and the ever-relaxed Drowzee, who, as usual, looked like he had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there. Eevee, Silver admitted, did fit in with the atmosphere perfectly with his snooty and superior air, and Noctowl's wise persona also suited the antiquated surroundings. When they found good enough seats, isolated from everyone else, Silver found himself seated next to Crystal and, unfortunately, Drowzee himself. Togepi looked like he was getting upset, as he was seated at the end, so Silver placed him on his lap. That was one ticket they didn't need to spend money on... Noctowl compounded the problem by perching on the back of Silver's chair. It was in no way distracting, as Noctowl stood completely still, but it was another wasted ticket. As Quilava curled up on Silver's lap, acting as a cushion for Togepi, and Haunter floated above them, occasionally causing Crystal to call him back as he looked set to distract other customers, Silver realised that he may as well not have bought the extra tickets at all. The only ones who actually behaved themselves were Drowzee, perfectly relaxed and waiting for the performance to start; Tyrogue, who was in conversation with Crystal anyway; and Eevee, who looked determined to show everyone else how a real Pokemon should behave. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and the show began, the curtains parting on the stage. There were the five Kimono Girls and their Pokemon arrayed on the stage, and they proceeded to gracefully dance to the tune of a plucked string instrument from somewhere off-stage. It was entrancing for a few minutes, but when nothing much new happened Silver's attentions began to waver, and he focused on the Pokemon and all he knew about them. Flareon was a Fire type, and a Fire Stone was required to evolve it. Vaporeon was the Water type, often mistaken for a mermaid due to its elegant finned tail. Jolteon... that was an Electric type. The spikes on its fur could be launched as Pin Missiles when it was aggravated, or so he had been told. Espeon was a Psychic type who could reportedly predict the future, and Umbreon was a Dark type who only evolved at night. All of them were powerful Pokemon, and he would be honoured to have any of them on his team. It depended really what Eevee wanted to evolve into, as he had no personal preference himself. He switched his attention back to the dance, but nothing had really changed. What they needed was a good pounding beat, or at least some flaming hoops to dive through... Togepi at least seemed to be enjoying himself, waving his arms and squeaking in time with the music. Quilava appeared to be asleep on his lap, whilst Haunter had disappeared completely in the darkness, much to his dismay. Noctowl hadn't moved a muscle, but Silver could almost feel his searchlight eyes scanning the stage and taking everything in. He didn't even bother to look at Drowzee. Crystal, however, seemed to be enraptured by the dancing, and as it was having no adverse affects on his headache he had no excuse to leave. The next hour dragged horribly, and he took the time to contemplate his journey so far. Four badges... Falkner, who gave him the Zephyrbadge, had been his first challenge, when he still had Cyndaquil and Hoothoot. How long ago had that been now? It scared him to even think about it. Then there had been Bugsy, against which Cyndaquil had evolved in Quilava. Whitney, the 'incredibly pretty girl', and her fearsome Miltank. It embarrassed him to even think of that battle, but as a plus point Gastly had evolved into a mischievous Haunter. His most recent battle, which was still vivid in his mind, was against Morty, and he had won the Fogbadge as well as evolving Hoothoot into Noctowl. He was halfway on the road to the Elite Four and the Pokemon Champion, the best Trainer in Kanto and Johto combined. He had already accomplished and experienced so much that it bewildered him to think that he was only halfway. Eventually, after what was one of the longest hours of his life, Crystal was pulling him to his feet. "Wasn't that just the greatest thing you've ever seen? So graceful, so moving... they're absolutely incredible, don't you agree?" As they walked out of the Theatre, she didn't stop for answers to her questions so Silver wasn't forced to lie. "And when Vaporeon did that flip and shook those glistening droplets off its coat..." she was still going several minutes later, as they left for Olivine City, the next stop on their quest. Even though the performance had felt many hours long, fortunately it was still dawn, so they stood a good chance of making some great progress that day. He had returned his Pokemon and rocked an all-too-excitable Togepi to sleep, and so walked along in relative peace, tuning most of Crystal's comments out but keeping tethered to the conversation anyway so he could nod and smile at appropriate times, or chip in if it took on a more interesting topic. The clear morning air and absence of distractions did wonders for his abating headache, but unfortunately something was waiting for him outside the Burned Tower, which they had to pass in order to leave the City. In fact, not some_thing_, but rather some_one_. Gold. Silver had him pegged as soon as he spotted his easily-recognisable silhouette, and alerted Crystal, whose comments on the Dance Theatre were silenced immediately. "Come on. Just walk past. Ignore him. You don't need to prove yourself to him," she hissed, trying her best to boost his confidence but in reality making it worse. He could feel Gold's eyes burning on him as they walked past in determined silence, and knew that Gold was smiling just as he smiled the night he had attacked the defenceless Silver. Just walking past was a weakling thing to do. He didn't need to battle Silver now; he had concrete proof that he was a spineless creature who avoided confrontation at all costs. It took all of Silver's willpower, and Crystal's constant, comforting presence, for him to ignore Gold and leave the City. He took a deep breath as they got further and further away, but it caught in his throat as he heard mirthless laughter emanating from the red-haired boy. Forcing himself not to turn, he heard Gold mutter, and suddenly he was pushed forwards flat on his face as something struck him from behind. His clothes were soaked through; Croconaw had used a Water Gun to floor him and issue a silent challenge. "Come on. Your clothes will dry out. We're taking the moral high ground here," Crystal said through gritted teeth, for once thinking on the bigger picture. But Silver, for once, wasn't listening to her. All he heard was Gold's laughter and the bawling of an awakened Togepi who had been injured by Croconaw's Water Gun as it had struck him full-on.

"Look after Togepi for me," he said in a low voice shaking with anger, handing the dripping baby Pokemon over to Crystal. He turned to see that Gold had drawn closer, within battling range. Croconaw hopped by his side, an angry look in its feral reptilian eyes.

"Ready?" Gold said quietly.

"I've never been more ready," Silver replied in an equally quiet and cold voice. There was silence for a few seconds before Croconaw snapped his jaws and stepped forwards viciously.

"Haunter, go! Use your Confuse Ray!" Silver cried, hurling Haunter's Pokeball into the fray. Haunter sensed his Trainer's anguish and wisely didn't play up, focusing on his opponent and sending out red energy waves at Croconaw.

"Croconaw, Water Gun! Fast!" Gold snapped, and a pillar of water burst from Croconaw's mouth, punching through Haunter's delicate Confuse Ray and smashing him head-on.

"Haunter, keep going! Get in close, and use a Lick attack!" Haunter sped towards Croconaw, its tongue trailing behind it eagerly.

"Croconaw, Bite!" Gold retorted, and Croconaw leapt straight into Haunter's path, fixing his powerful teeth on Haunter's tongue. Haunter hissed in pain and tried to withdraw, but Croconaw's grip was too firm and he was brutally dragging the Ghost Pokemon in closer for another attack.

"Haunter, stare into his eyes and give him a Confuse Ray again!" Silver ordered, and once again his eyes glowed red as he struck Croconaw with subtle pulses of mind-warping energy. Croconaw was too close to resist, and reeled backwards, clutching its head, releasing Haunter as it did so. "Haunter, hit him with Night Shade! Let's go!" Silver was being shorter with his Pokemon than normal, but that was an indicator of what was at stake and what he was battling for. Blacker than black rays sprung from Haunter's eyes this time, striking Croconaw viciously in the chest and sending him flying backwards with a squeal. He rolled backwards and halted next to Gold's feet, twitching slightly, his eyes closed.

"Get up. We're not finished yet," Gold said in a biting voice, and Croconaw dragged himself to his feet. "One last Water Gun, quickly!" Before Haunter could dodge, the pressurised water attack had struck him, and it hit with such unexpected speed and power that he floated to the floor, defeated.

"Haunter, no! Come back! Noctowl, you're up," Noctowl emerged on the battle-field with a hoot, flapping its impressive wings before settling down on the ground, motionless.

"Croconaw, Bite it again!" Gold ordered, and Croconaw ran in for the attack, its jaws snapping again.

"Noctowl, go up, quickly!" Noctowl spread his wings and rose up into the air, leaving Croconaw stymied for a split-second. "Now, use your Peck attack!" Noctowl descended like a bullet and pecked Croconaw on the head, making it screech in pain; he also took the liberty of raking the Crocodile Pokemon with his talons as well, and beating him with his wings. Croconaw fled, its hands over its head, but Gold said,

"Ignore it! Use your Bite, as I commanded!" Croconaw turned, suffering several nasty pecks and scratches, but it managed to clamp Noctowl's right foot in its jaw, causing the Owl Pokemon to trill in agony.

"Use Hypnosis, now!" Noctowl's huge eyes rippled with many colours, and Croconaw was entranced; he fell backwards, asleep, and fortunately his jaws loosened and Noctowl was freed, although he was forced to limp due to his injuries. "One last Peck attack!" Noctowl hobbled over to the sleeping Croconaw and picked its spot quickly, jabbing its beak in a vicious, precise and powerful attack.

"Croconaw, return. Magnemite, destroy him!" The angry-looking Magnemite replaced Croconaw on the field. "Thundershock, now! And don't hold back!" Electricity once again zapped in a rippling wave from Magnemite's magnets, and Noctowl was too slow to dodge. Silver forced himself to watch as his own lack of speed had caused Noctowl to suffer what he had suffered; being a Flying type, Noctowl was weak against the Electric attack, and crumpled backwards. It pained Silver to see his Pokemon's unconscious convulsions, but he recalled Noctowl and sent out Quilava. "Magnemite, Thunder Wave, fast!" Gold shouted, and electricity sprang towards Quilava with the intent of Paralysing him.

"Dodge it! Good... now hit him with Ember!" Quilava leapt out of the way of the bolts and sprayed Magnemite with a wave of fire; Magnemite's squeals sounded like static on a radio as it fell back from the flames, shielding its eye.

"Power through the flames! Tackle him like you Tackled Silver!" Gold screamed, and Magnemite forced itself to brave the fire it was weak against to dive into close combat, slamming against Quilava's head as it tried to knock him out. Quilava squeaked, but it had rolled with the Tackle well and was back on his feet in no time.

"Flame Wheel!" Silver shouted, and a swirling coil of flame, quite beautiful save for the circumstances, swirled from Quilava's mouth. It surrounded Magnemite and pinned him in place before closing in; there was no escape. Magnemite clattered to the ground with a clang, its eye blank.

"Magnemite, return. Zubat, get ready for battle! Use your Bite attack!" Zubat emerged and it pulled its wings tightly into its body as it plunged down, savaging Quilava's back leg with its sharp fangs as Quilava tried to dodge away.

"Quilava, your back-flames! Quick!" Quilava stopped and focused, its back-flames bursting into life, and Zubat reeled away to avoid burns.

"Don't worry about them! You have him on the run! Supersonic!" Gold ordered harshly. Zubat twisted sharply in mid-air and sent out a wave of sonic energy that engulfed Quilava, making him cower and cover his tiny ears in pain. When it stopped, Quilava's eyes seemed oddly unfocused, and his back-flames sputtered out as he staggered around. "Get in close and get him with a Leech Life!"

"Quilava, focus! Zubat's coming in from the left!" Silver's orders went unheard, however, as Zubat banked in sharply and hammered Quilava with crackling bolts of green energy. The bat Pokemon actually perched on top of him as it sucked up the energy, and whenever Quilava attempted to strike back he managed only to injure himself, until he collapsed. Zubat was noticeably lager after having dined on Quilava's energy, and chattered in victory, spreading its wings as Quilava was recalled. "Eevee, Quick Attack!" Silver said sharply. Eevee charged into battle and skull-bashed Zubat, who was too heavy to fly after his macabre meal. Eevee took the battle into his own hands, Biting Zubat's ear and slapping his face with his fluffy, whiplash tail. Zubat screeched and tried to take off as Eevee dangled from his ear viciously, but it wasn't happening. Eevee took his chance to jump off, before lancing into another earth-shattering Quick Attack headbutt that actually knocked out one of Zubat's teeth, as well as Zubat himself.

"Zubat, come back. Haunter, finish him off!" Gold's own Haunter, noticeably more sinister than Silver's, emerged with an unearthly cackle and evil grimace. "Hypnosis, now, then Dream Eater!"

"Eevee, use your Bite to nail Haunter, and fast!" Silver said urgently, and Eevee obediently jumped into the fray... straight into the path of Haunter's Hypnosis. Eevee slowed in mid-air, its eyelids closing, and it crumpled to the floor, snoring. It took several horrible seconds for Haunter to rip Eevee's energy from him and suck it into himself, with none-too-tender hands either. "Eevee, return. Drowzee, you can finish him off with your own Hypnosis!" Drowzee took up position against Haunter, his arms waving immediately as he gathered the Psychic power to assault the Ghost.

"Haunter, Shadow Ball, then finish it up with a Night Shade!" Gold cried, and Silver could sense the excitement of imminent victory in his voice. Haunter's hands glowed with dark energy as a powerful ball of darkness flashed into being.

"Drowzee, stop Hypnosis, and use Confusion!" Silver could see Hypnosis was a lost cause, and he got the words out just in time; Drowzee's burst of Psychic energy clashed with Haunter's Shadow Ball before it could connect, and both were dissipated. However, Haunter quickly followed up with its Night Shade, and powerful bolts struck Drowzee full in the face, striking him down off his feet. "Drowzee, can you get up?" Silver asked Drowzee, who nodded slowly and climbed up shakily.

"Haunter, Shadow Ball, you moron! Whilst the enemy's still getting up!" Gold screamed, barely able to get the words out in his frenzy.

"Drowzee, use Confusion again! Use everything you've got!" Silver found himself mimicking his detested rival in his eagerness to end the battle in his favour. Oddly, silence suddenly fell on the battle-field. Everyone held their breath as Haunter hurled its deathly Shadow Ball and Drowzee's eyes lit up with Psychic power. The unstoppable force of Haunter's Shadow Ball met the immovable object of Drowzee's Confusion in the early light of dawn. Suddenly, the Shadow Ball stopped in mid-air. Everyone present gaped at this unexpected development; apart from Drowzee. The Shadow Ball reversed its course with terrifying power and slammed into a stunned Haunter, propelled by all the power at Drowzee's disposal. Haunter floated to the floor, light as a feather and completely beaten. Silence again. Then Gold grudgingly, painstakingly returned Haunter.

"So close... _so close_..." he hissed, stamping the ground and thrashing the air around him as his rage grew out of control. "AARGH! You're weak! If you hadn't have had an extra fighter, I'd have crushed you like the pathetic insect you are! Next time you're doomed. I'll track you down and punish you if it takes me the rest of my life to do it. Mark my words. Your girlfriend too. I'll track you down. You just wait. Doomed!" he snarled savagely, before turning on his heels and running away full-pelt. Silver let out his breath and slumped backwards. That had been, without doubt, the most savage battle he had ever been in. The sheer emotion and intensity of it all had left him shrivelled and drained inside, and wondering what the point of it all was. What was the point in travelling from city to city collecting pointless little badges if there were demons like Gold lurking in the world? The full impact of the battle crashed onto him in one fell swoop, and without quite knowing why he felt tears run down his cheeks. Crystal put her arm around him, then drew him into a full-fledged hug.

"Shh. Don't worry, that battle was enough to shake anybody up. You were great, and your Pokemon were too. Shh, you won..."

"I know... but it's not about winning. Crystal, I feel sorry for him, and his Pokemon... Nobody could be so cruel without being forced into it somehow. It just puts my own life into perspective... we've both led happy, full lives, but something must have gone wrong with Gold somewhere. He shouldn't be hated, but pitied..." a fresh round of tears filled his eyes.

"No he shouldn't. He should only be feared and avoided. Pity should be reserved for people who get in his way. He's a deadly beast, more evil and destructive by far than even the Pokemon who destroyed that tower," she gestured at the Burned Tower and started to weep alongside Silver as hey hobbled towards the Pokemon Centre again, feeling as if they had both suffered a horrible loss rather than a victory.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 19**

"_What_ did you say?" Crystal said with incredulous hilarity.

"The Moomoo farm's close by. Hey, I wasn't the one who named it..." Silver replied defensively, checking his Pokegear's map again.

"_Moomoo_ farm... Three guesses what type of Pokemon lives there," Crystal said, still laughing.

"Er... Miltank, Miltank or Miltank," Silver summed up.

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue jumped and punched the air joyfully.

"You should be happy to visit it, Crystal. It is a landmark, after all... the only known Pokemon Farm in Johto,"

"I suppose... so, next stop, Moomoo farm, right?" Crystal said, and they quickened their pace now that they had a certain destination, Silver trying to ignore Crystal's continued sniggers at the farm's name. The battle with Gold in Ecruteak City seemed like it belonged to a different age. After it, they had stayed in the Pokemon Centre for another day or two to fully recover in body and mind. Silver's Pokemon in particular needed the rest, as the battle had been uncommonly vicious and only Drowzee had come out of it without fainting. Silver now saw Drowzee in a new light; if he hadn't caught the Psychic Pokemon, he would have lost against Gold. He spent less time criticising him nowadays and more time complimenting him, but Drowzee as ever wore his spaced-out smile and only ever responded with a thumbs-up whether Silver shouted at him or praised him to the heavens. They were almost halfway to Olivine City now, and they planned on using the Moomoo farm as a waystation until setting off again tomorrow. Olivine City had its own Pokemon Gym, in which Silver hoped to win his fifth badge before setting off to Cianwood City for his sixth. Neither Silver nor Crystal ever mentioned the battle against Gold, which Silver was thankful for; he still had the bruise from when Magnemite attacked him as a reminder, after all, even though the headache had thankfully faded. It was a battle that he hoped never to repeat, and Gold was a person he never wanted to see again. He knew his Pokemon, no matter how brave and strong they appeared, felt the same way.

"Are you looking forwards to returning to Cianwood City? You were born there, after all," Silver sparked up conversation with Crystal as they walked.

"Really? Was I? Well, I never would have guessed. Thanks for the history lesson," Crystal replied sarcastically. "I don't remember much about it, to be honest. But I am looking forward to seeing Master Chuck! Hoo-hah!" She took up a karate pose alongside Tyrogue. Master Chuck, a Fighting type Gym Leader from Cianwood City, was her idol.

"Master Chuck is my next victim... sorry, opponent, after I battle the Olivine Gym Leader," Silver deliberately said slyly.

"Victim? You'll be the victim. He's even better than me, and you know what a high-class Trainer I am..." Their bickering, as ever, continued as they walked along until Silver realised how hungry he was and said that they should stop for a short pit-stop. Crystal was as impatient as usual, but her argument to keep going was undermined by her rumbling stomach, and Silver set out the picnic equipment. He released all of his Pokemon when they found a nice spot to rest so they could get some fresh air and have some lunch alongside their Trainers. Haunter, eager to be free, did a loop-the-loop in the air and cackled happily before settling down for his food. Noctowl stayed in one spot, as usual, but whenever Silver looked at him his head seemed to be at a different angle. At one point, it was turned fully 180 degrees, so Noctowl was looking behind, although he stayed as unruffled as ever when Silver and Crystal laughed at this unusual sight. Drowzee just plonked himself down on the spot he was released, pulled the bowl of Pokemon food towards him and popped the pieces into his mouth like he was eating popcorn at a mildly interesting movie. Togepi and Tyrogue sat next to each other, playing together happily.

"They seem to get on really well, don't they? In our little family, Tyrogue must like the big brother to Togepi," Crystal observed.

"Or he's the wild young uncle that will drag him off the rails," Silver countered. Crystal laughed.

"Yeah, I can see it now... Togepi joins a chain-smoking biker gang under Tyrogue's blissfully oblivious care," Silver's laughter stopped as he spotted Eevee. The Normal Pokemon had dragged his food bowl away until he was a good distance from the other Pokemon, nibbling on it delicately and ignoring his fellows.

"Excuse me," he said to Crystal and the Quilava whose head rested upon his knee, and he walked over to Eevee.

"Eee!" Eevee squeaked enthusiastically as he saw Silver, and nuzzled his head into his Trainer's chest.

"Glad to see you too, Eevee. But what's wrong? Why are you all alone?" Eevee turned his back on the others with a contemptuous,

"Eee," and swished his tail in annoyance like an angry cat.

"Come on... what's wrong? Who's upset you?" Crystal suddenly appeared beside him, looking at Eevee closely.

"I think I know what's up," she said hesitantly. Silver looked up at her in expectation. She hesitated for a couple more seconds before saying, "I think Eevee thinks he's better than the rest of them," She said it quickly as if she hoped to minimise the impact, looking nervously from Eevee to Silver. Silver laughed.

"Oh, come on... You don't think that at all, do you, Eevee?" Eevee responded with another disgruntled squeak, his back still firmly towards the others; even without speaking the language of Pokemon, Silver knew that to be a sure 'yes'. He sighed awkwardly. "Eevee... you know I love you, but you're all equal, OK? I don't have any favourites, because you're all my favourites. If I picked out one of you that I liked more than the others, it would make the rest of you unhappy. How would you feel if I started ignoring you and focusing on Haunter or Noctowl?" Eevee turned to look at him, but there was none of the saintly innocence Silver had come to suspect from him; just annoyance and hurt. Silver extended his hand to stroke Eevee's soft fur, but Eevee nipped his finger sharply with his teeth and turned tail, running away from the picnic as fast as he could. "Eevee, come back!" He turned to Crystal in askance. She sighed.

"Go on. I'll clean up here," she said, and he thanked her quickly before running off after Eevee. It took him a while to pick up the trail, because Eevee was so quick and his tiny footprints were hard to pick out, but through a mixture of luck and skill he traced Eevee's path to a large flat rock, upon which Eevee was sunning himself, his back to Silver.

"Eevee, come down. We have to talk about this," Silver called, but Eevee ignored him, except his tail swished a bit faster. Silver approached Eevee and climbed up onto the boulder with some difficulty, but he was willing to bear the scratches and scrapes if it meant repairing his relationship with his Pokemon. "Please, Eevee. Won't you just hear me out?" Silver asked, then stayed silent, waiting for Eevee response. When one was not forthcoming, he sat down cross-legged to show Eevee that he was willing to wait for however long he needed. Eventually the Pokemon relented, and turned slowly to gaze at Silver. As he approached slowly, Silver noticed he had a slight limp. "What's wrong with your foot?" Eevee extended his foot and Silver noticed a thorn embedded in the paw. "I see. You must've picked that up whilst you were on the run. Here, let me pull it out... feel free to bite or kick me, if that will help at all..." he said with some trepidation. He had seen enough of Eevee's battle prowess to know that neither a bite nor a kick would be anything to ignore, but he needed to show his faith and trust in Eevee no matter the consequences. Gripping the thorn tightly, and wishing that Noctowl was here to precisely pull it out with his beak or at least anaesthetise Eevee with Hypnosis, he wrenched hard and ripped it free from Eevee's foot. Eevee squeaked in pain and withdrew slightly, but upon examination his paw seemed to be fine. He approached Silver again, head slightly bowed, and curled up on his lap. Silver stroked his head and tickled behind his furry ears. "Don't worry about it. We all make mistakes," he reassured the Pokemon, and they stayed there for another few minutes in silence before someone approached from behind. "Don't worry, Crystal. Eevee's fine," Silver said without looking around, but instead of Crystal's recognisable voice he heard a harsh laugh.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. No point in stealing an unhealthy Pokemon, is there? Tie him up," Silver turned swiftly to see, to his horror, that no less than six members of Team Rocket were surrounding him, all of them with a Pokemon each. The Trainers themselves leapt up onto the rock and grabbed Silver, ignoring his attempts at escape and tying his hands behind his back, as well as his ankles, then leaving him on the rock.

"Shall we attack the Eevee?" another Rocket asked.

"Not yet. We can't attack it all at once, or we'll get in each other's way. Come in slowly. Those with long-range attacks like Poison Sting, be ready for my command..." The Rockets and their Pokemon slowly closed in on Eevee, who looked up for the fight despite the hopeless odds. Seeking to delay the battle, Silver shouted,

"Why do you want Eevee anyway? Who are you?" The Rockets all turned to look at him at once.

"Who are we? If you don't know, then prepare for trouble..." one of them started, but the leader snapped,

"Silence. This is no time for the motto. We were on our way to Goldenrod, boy, and we just so happened to spot you. We would never pass up a chance for such a rare Pokemon, especially one so laxly guarded. Long-range attacks, fire now!" Poison Stings, Pin Missiles and bursts of fire hurtled towards Eevee, who was going to get hammered by all of them at once... But no. Noctowl swooped in and clutched Eevee in his talons, pulling him up and away from the attack before landing beside a new arrival; none other than Crystal.

"Nice work, Noctowl! Quilava, free Silver! The rest of you, get ready for battle!" she ordered, and Quilava shot between the legs of the nearest Rocket like a weasel before biting through Silver's bonds. Silver jumped to his feet as the battle-field rearranged itself; Silver, Crystal and their Pokemon on one side of the boulder, the Rockets on the other.

"Thanks," he said to Crystal, who beamed.

"Always at your service, my liege. Shall we?"

"Oh, why not. Let's go, guys! Pick your own targets!" Silver ordered, and all chaos broke loose as the Rockets launched their attack and were met by Silver's Pokemon and an ever-enthusiastic Tyrogue. Quilava stood in front of Silver like a bodyguard, his back-flames burning as he hissed a challenge at a nearby Ekans, which leapt at him with a rattle of its yellow-tipped tail and a gleam of its bared fangs. As the two grappled, Silver felt Noctowl swooping in overhead, the energy from his saucer eyes making the hair on the back of his neck stand up as he used Hypnosis on a powerless Charmander. An Arbok teamed up with a Koffing to launch a double Tackle attack on Haunter, with predictable results; as Arbok turned around to face his foe again, he was given a resounding Lick, followed by a complimentary Night Shade; Koffing, meanwhile, had been intercepted by Tyrogue, who was holding onto his gaseous body with all his might and pounding every bit of him he could reach. Togepi, meanwhile, was loving every second of it, and watched from the sidelines like a hopping, squeaking cheerleader. The ground shook as a savage Primeape used a Stomp attack on the Drowzee in front of him, who was looking as vacant as ever; all of a sudden it was Primeape on the receiving end, lifted up by a Confusion attack and assailed by a rippling wave of Psychic energy. The final Rocket Pokemon predictably belonged to the Rocket leader; a grim-looking Houndour with a vicious snarl. Silver could see the Rocket pointing at him, but couldn't hear his voice; the intent was clear enough, however: take a hostage. Houndour leapt savagely over the melee to secure Silver, but was rammed mid-leap by Eevee, and the two squared off and began their own fight, biting and scratching ferociously. The Rocket Leader surveyed the battle and knew all was lost. He motioned to his companions, who retreated their Pokemon from the thrashing they were receiving and sped off, Silver and Crystal in pursuit and chasing them with their own blasts of fire and mental energy. When the Rockets had completely fled, some of them stamping out flame-licked clothes (courtesy of Quilava) and many of them terrified (courtesy of Haunter), Silver and Crystal stopped to watch them run, laughing. "Thank you, Crystal. If it hadn't been for you, we would've been doomed. And thank you also, guys. You were amazing. That was some of your best battling," he added to his Pokemon, who responded with their own words of thanks. Apart from Drowzee, of course, who gave him a thumbs-up.

"You needn't mention it. We're friends, right? And friends look out for each other. Besides, I need someone to do the washing up," Crystal added mischievously.

"Ah, so that's why you saved me. I thought it was because we were going to the Moomoo farm, and we need at least one person who won't laugh every time they hear the name," Silver retorted.

"That too. Is Eevee OK?"

"Eee!" Eevee responded himself by rubbing against Crystal's leg, a show of affection he had never exhibited to anyone apart from Silver before.

"Eevee's better than ever," Silver said, and the group walked slowly back to finish their picnic as if nothing had ever happened. This time, however, Eevee dragged his bowl back into the midst of his new friends, who accepted him gratefully into the fold at last.

"Awww... isn't that sweet. Look, even Togepi's welcoming him," Crystal observed, as Togepi leapt up and down with joy next to Eevee.

"Togepi's had too much sugar by the look of him. It'll be hard to get him to sleep tonight..." Silver stopped as he realised what he had just said, and Crystal teased him about it all the way to their next destination, the Moomoo farm.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 20**

When Silver and Crystal finally reached the Moomoo farm, it appeared that all was not well. The Miltanks in the fields seemed restless and aggressive whenever they stopped to watch them, and people were rushing around examining the cow-like creatures with worried expressions on their faces. These people didn't even respond when Silver or Crystal called out to them, although Crystal did notice that they were dressed up in quarantine suits; obviously some sort of illness had broken out among the herd.

"Do you think they'll still let us stay there tonight?" Crystal pointed to the nearby farmhouse.

"I'm not sure. It depends exactly what's wrong here. Maybe we can help, and pay for our night's stay through work," Silver suggested, and Crystal agreed. Night was fast approaching, and they had no wish to camp outside when so many angry Miltanks were close by. They walked up to the wooden door of the old farmhouse and knocked slowly with the heavy iron knocker. They heard nothing within for several minutes, and were about to give up when they noticed the sound of weeping coming from a stable nearby.

"Shall we investigate?" Crystal asked.

"I think we'd better. Someone might be in trouble," Silver said, and they crept over to the stable cautiously. Silver released Quilava silently lest an enemy lie in wait, and Crystal and Tyrogue were ever-ready with their martial arts. It was dark inside the stable, and Silver peered inside without success. "What do we do now?" he hissed, and Crystal sighed impatiently.

"Hello? Is anybody in there?" she yelled, making Silver wince. The crying stopped for a few seconds, as if the person inside was debating a reply.

"Who's out there?" a young, tearful female voice finally said.

"We're friends. We're here to help," Silver tried to repair the damage. "We'd like to stay at the farmhouse for tonight, but we want to help you with whatever's wrong with the Miltanks first,"

"Travellers? Are you Pokemon Trainers?" the voice replied, and there was a glimmer of hope in it this time.

"Yes. Quilava, light the way for us," Crystal ordered, and Quilava's back-flames flickered into life to provide paltry illumination on the scene inside the stable. There was a young girl, younger than Crystal, crouched beside a Miltank. The Miltank itself was horribly thin and gaunt, and its eyes were gummed up with some disgusting fluid. Its dry, swollen tongue lolled from its mouth and it made no sign that it had even noticed the four newcomers. Crystal ran over to the girl whilst Silver and Quilava approached the Miltank concernedly. "Come here," Crystal said sympathetically, and hugged the young girl, who had broken down into fresh tears.

"What's wrong with Miltank?" Silver asked as he examined the beast.

"I... I don't know... I don't know..." the girl sobbed. "She's been like that for days now... She's been put here to stop the rest of the herd catching whatever sickness she has... it's awful, just awful..." she broke down in tears again and could no longer speak.

"There, there... shh, we'll help, don't worry. Do you know what Miltank needs to get better?" Crystal asked.

"Daddy says she needs lots of Berries, but we can't find any around here. The rest of the herd are getting sad that this Miltank isn't with them, and they've stopped producing milk... We sell their milk, and if they don't make any we can't survive..." the girl spluttered through her anguish. Crystal shared a look with Silver. Where could they find any Berries for Miltank? They hadn't picked up any on their travels, after all...

"Do you know where we can get Berries from?" Silver asked, straightening up as Miltank showed no improvement.

"No... Do either of you have a Shuckle?" Crystal and Silver looked at each other in puzzlement again.

"No. Why?" Silver asked.

"Oh..." she looked downcast. "Shuckles store Berries in their shell to make Berry Juice. Some Berry Juice would heal Miltank right up, I just know it would..."

"Where can we find a Shuckle?"

"I don't know... There's a man in Cianwood City who has lots of rare Pokemon, but he's too far away,"

"Well, you're in luck!" Crystal beamed, shooting a warning glance at Silver. "We're heading for Cianwood City right now. If you'll let us sleep in your lovely farmhouse tonight, I promise we'll go straight there and bring back a Shuckle as soon as possible,"

"Or even if you don't let us sleep there," Silver interjected quickly, not wanting to seem like they were emotionally blackmailing a young child.

"Don't worry. I'll ask Mummy and Daddy, I'm sure they'll say yes once I've told them what you're going to do," the little girl jumped to her feet and led Crystal away by the hand.

"Quilava, return. I don't want you to catch whatever Miltank has, after all," Silver said quietly, calling the Fire Pokemon back to his Pokeball before following the two girls up to the farmhouse. Fortunately for them, the girl's parents had eagerly complied with their wishes.

"Oh, of course you can sleep here, darlin's," the mother said. "After what you've promised to do, we can't do any less, can we?"

"No, we can't," the deep voice of the man rumbled across the dinner table. "You're welcome here. Just promise me t'bring back that there Shuckle fast, won't you?"

"Thank you. We'll come back as soon as possible when we find the man with all the Pokemon," Crystal promised. Silver was getting slightly uneasy with all of this promising. What if they couldn't get to Cianwood City for a long time? And what if the man didn't even have a Shuckle? And he knew it was selfish, but what about his Gym battles? But he couldn't do anything about it for now; they had pledged themselves now to Miltank's cause. He had an uneasy night's sleep pondering their predicament, which wasn't helped by Crystal's snoring from the bed beside his. Fortunately, Noctowl was at hand; preferring to be awake at night anyway, the Owl Pokemon treated the tossing and turning Silver to a very diluted form of his Hypnosis to put him to sleep before flying out of the window to explore his surroundings (and perhaps catch himself a light snack). Silver was woken by Quilava's nudging the next day, and had the very rare treat of being the one to wake up Crystal rather than the other way around.

"Who's sleepyhead now?" he teased her. She groaned as she opened her eyes slowly.

"You'll always be sleepyhead. This is just a temporary lapse," she yawned, and walked off into an adjoining room as they both got dressed. They were greeted by a huge breakfast as they walked down into the kitchen together; so large, in fact, that they released their Pokemon to help them finish it off.

"Will you be headin' off to Cianwood today?" the girl's mother asked them sleepily, and Crystal nodded immediately.

"We'll get the first available boat," she vowed, and Silver looked at the floor sheepishly. That was his Olivine City Gym battle out the window, then. When they finally finished the food, and been waved off by the Miltank-owning family, they walked as quickly as possible directly towards Olivine City. Usually they would keep their pace slow and steady, so they could appreciate the walk, but not today. As Crystal kept repeating, it was a matter of life and death. "Ask Noctowl to scout ahead and see how far we still have to go," Crystal said quickly as she declined Silver's third invitation to stop for a rest.

"You're a true hero, alright," Silver said, but Crystal scowled at his veiled sarcasm.

"I didn't ask for this responsibility. But there's a sick Miltank back there depending on us. You can rest back here if you want, but I'm going to Cianwood City," she said shortly. Silver sighed and put his head in his hands.

"Ignore me. You're right. We need to do this; we promised, right?" Crystal beamed at him as they ran, and Silver felt better again. "Noctowl, come on out! Could you fly ahead for us and check how far away we are?" Noctowl hooted his affirmative and spread his wings, soaring up into the sky and soon disappearing to view. They continued in silence for a while before Crystal broke it.

"You're a good friend, Silver. I really appreciate you coming with me, and your Pokemon too. Be sure to thank them for me,"

"You can thank them yourself once Miltank's healed again. And I'm the one who should be thanking you, allowing me to be the lowly sidekick on this heroic quest," Thankfully, this time Crystal laughed.

"Have you ever noticed how the sidekicks are always annoying, and it's the hero that's super-cool?" she asked innocently.

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue punched the air happily. Minutes later, in which Silver pondered her point and found it to be generally, frustratingly correct, they reached Olivine City. Most of the buildings were painted white, with blue roofs, which made them contrast strangely with the cloud-smeared azure sky overhead. The air was noticeably colder and windier, and there was the constant crashing of waves to be heard over the general hubbub of the fish-market. Silver looked at the sea in wonderment as they ran along the dockside; a rippling blue-green carpet of constantly shifting waves crested with white foam. They found Noctowl waiting for them beside the gangplank that led up to their particular ship; boarding passengers were either admiring his good condition or laughing as his head turned every which-way.

"Hi Noctowl. Good idea to wait here; you can come back now," Silver returned Noctowl and stared up at the gangplank. They hadn't bought tickets, of course, but they knew the way to the ship thanks to a helpful fisherman and his Poliwhirl.

"Have you got your money ready?" Crystal asked him.

"Yeah, but I don't know exactly how expensive tickets are going to be. Any idea yourself?" he held out the money to her, and she counted it quickly.

"That should be more than enough for the both of us," she indicated the gangplank. "After you,"

"You're too kind," Silver replied, and walked as confidently as he could up the swaying gangplank until he was stopped by the guard.

"Tickets?" he asked gruffly.

"We don't have any, but we've got money to buy some," Silver indicated the notes in his hand. The guard deliberated for a second before leaving to consult with a superior. He returned several seconds later, smiling.

"We'll be happy to have you; at a slightly increased rate, of course. Will that be two return tickets to Cianwood City, then?" Silver sighed, nodded and handed over the extra cash, whilst the guard tried to hide how smug he was. "Room 24B is free, I think," he said, and after thanking him they went off in search. When they eventually found it, they sat on the bed and rested their weary legs. It had been a longer trek than expected, and they had run all the way.

"_Now_ we can have something to eat," Crystal said, and Silver unpacked a few snacks for him, Crystal, Tyrogue and Togepi.

"So how long will it take for us to reach Cianwood City?" he asked her, swallowing some chocolate. She chewed and swallowed her own mouthful before replying,

"A couple of hours. I don't really know why they assigned us a room for such a short trek,"

"I think this must be a cruise ship, just passing by Cianwood. Shall we go up on deck to explore?" he offered, and Crystal nodded.

"Maybe there'll be something to do up there," she said, and they eventually found their way up to the top deck. The ship bucked slightly as the waves passed underneath it, but it was a calming motion rather than an unsettling one. Sea spray splattered over the sides and drenched anyone who stood too close to the balustrades, so most people were in the middle on deck chairs, reading or sunbathing. Silver's attention was caught by another fisherman who was sitting at the edge of the ship, his leg dangling through the railings as his line draped down into the sea. He and Crystal walked over to him and watched him for a few minutes before he noticed them.

"Can I help you?" he asked in a hoarse voice, lowering his sunglasses so he could see them better.

"Sorry, we were just watching you fish," Silver said, and made to leave, but the man's face brightened up after his comment.

"You like fishing, do you? Well, I'll tell you a secret; my name's the Fishing Guru. I just can't get enough of it! I live in Olivine City, you see, the perfect place for it..." he rambled on for a while, talking about why he loved fishing, where he had fished, what he had caught, on and on and on... "But anyway, the Golden Magikarp got free and I never saw it again. Why don't you have a go with my rod, sonny? See if you can catch anything?" Silver snapped out of his daydream after being directly addressed by the Guru, and he grabbed the fishing pole slowly. "That there's a Super Rod. The best rod in all of Johto; it can catch near enough any Water Pokemon you want," the Guru said proudly, shuffling aside so Silver and Crystal could sit down.

"Can I have a go after Silver?" Crystal asked eagerly, and the Guru not only nodded but proceeded to treat her to one, or perhaps several, of his sea stories whilst Silver fished. After several minutes, Silver was bored. Nothing had bitten on the rod, and all he could hear was the repetitive crashing of waves against the boat and the even more repetitive drone of the Fishing Guru's voice beside him. He chanced a glance over at Crystal and muffled a laugh; she was looking as vacant as Drowzee, and Tyrogue was splayed out beside her, asleep. None of this deterred the Fishing Guru from his course, however. All of a sudden, the rod shivered in Silver's hands. He looked at it stupidly, wondering what was going on for a moment, before the Fishing Guru encouraged him;

"Come on, pull it in! Steady, now... that's it! Just a little bit further..." It was a lot harder than it looked. He had to get the pressure and the angle just right, as well as the length of the line itself, and all the while whatever was hooked made the rod judder uncontrollably. "Now! Give it a good, hard pull!" the Guru said, slapping him on the back, and he wrenched the rod up as hard as he could. There was a splash as whatever broke the surface made its entrance, and Silver was blinded by the spray as it flew upwards and landed with a splat on the deck behind him. Shoving the rod back into the Guru's hands, he turned eagerly to see what he had caught. Sitting on the deck in a puddle, looking groggy and bewildered, was a Poliwag.

"Come on, Silver! You always said you wanted a Water Pokemon!" Crystal encouraged him, and he nodded before scrambling to his feet.

"Eevee, go! Use Tackle on Poliwag!" Eevee emerged from his Pokeball and slammed into Poliwag, sending the tadpole Pokemon skimming across the deck like a beach ball. "Now, go around the other side and hit it with a Quick Attack so it comes back towards me!" Silver ordered, but Eevee was as ever way ahead of him. Poliwag stopped a metre in front of him, its eyes unfocused as it tried to struggle to its tiny feet. "Lure Ball, go!" Silver knew that the time had finally come for Kurt's ball, and the blue and white orb opened as it landed right next to Poliwag, drawing him inside its confines. The ball rocked back and forth once, twice, three times... then it stopped. Poliwag was his! "Yes! I caught Poliwag!" he cried delightedly, and Eevee barrelled into him, squeaking with triumph. "You did well, Eevee. Return. Poliwag, come out! Let's have a look at you!" Poliwag looked as bewildered as ever as it emerged, this time standing on its own two feet.

"Poli?" it squeaked, looking up at its new Trainer with huge eyes. The swirl on its stomach was almost hypnotising, and its tiny mouth broke into a small smile as it flapped its large fin-like tail. "Poli, Poli, Poli!" it said shrilly, leaping from foot to foot before its legs gave way and it was flat on its back again. Crystal giggled as Silver recalled Poliwag, intent on preventing further self-harm.

"Wow, another character to add to our dysfunctional family. He sure is cute, though..."

"Cute? I've already got Togepi, Eevee and in a pinch Quilava for that. What I need is intimidating," Silver said, downcast at her reaction.

"Oh, come on. What about Drowzee? One encounter with him and any opponent will run off and hide," she replied with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

"Yeah, but for a completely different reason," Silver agreed, then remembered he was meant to be nice to Drowzee. He examined the blue and white ball at his belt fondly. Poliwag was his, and his team was complete. Quilava, Noctowl, Haunter, Drowzee, Eevee and Poliwag. Not a team to strike fear into the Champion's heart just yet, he admitted, but in time it would be.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 21**

Silver knocked at the door of the small house impatiently. When there was no reply for a second or two, he knocked again.

"Come on, come on..." he said.

"Oh, stand aside," Crystal said, pushing him away and squaring up to the door herself. Wham wham wham. Her own fist slammed against it time and again, and Silver feared that she was about to inflict some karate chop on it before they heard a small, muffled voice;

"Who... who's there? What do you want?" Silver and Crystal had arrived at Cianwood City. Silver had barely enough time to appreciate the antiquated, sea-influenced architecture before Crystal was asking around everywhere for the whereabouts of the 'man with all the rare Pokemon'. They had been pointed to a very unremarkable house by a boy who trembled under Crystal's imposing stare, but had had no success in achieving entry as of yet.

"We're Pokemon Trainers. I'm Crystal, and he's Silver. Will you please let us in?" Crystal said with annoyance. Silver marvelled at her dedication on saving the sick Miltank, and admired her for it. She was almost zealous in her desire to bring back the all-important Shuckle.

"So... you're not... _him_?" the man inside trembled.

"Him? Who's him? Look, if you'll just let us in..." Crystal said, but surprisingly the voice cut her off.

"You don't know him? Him, with the long, red hair, and glaring eyes... he stole my Sneasel and my Kadabra, he did," Crystal and Silver shared a stunned and terrified look. Long red hair? Glaring eyes? That was a dead ringer for Gold, Silver's rival. Now in his mad quest for supremacy he had resorted to stealing rare Pokemon.

"We know him all right... but we're not friends of his. Far from it," Silver assured the man, and after a few seconds the door opened a crack. A terrified-looking man with large spectacles stood in the doorway, surveying them nervously. Then he seemed to decide that they were telling the truth, and opened the door fully.

"Come in, then, come in. Are you here to see my rare Pokemon collection?" the man said in a wavering voice full of false jollity, his eyes slightly too wide and desperate for Silver's liking.

"Are you OK, sir?" Crystal asked in one of her rare considerate moments.

"OK? Yes, little girl, I'm just fine. Now, I seem to remember you were here to see my Pokemon collection, so come in, come in," he repeated himself, waving them inside. Silver almost laughed at Crystal's expression on being addressed as 'little girl' but was far too on edge due to the man's strange ways. He had obviously been badly affected by Gold's uninvited visit. The two of them warily entered the house and sat down, whilst the man gathered up several Pokeballs in his trembling arms. "So who do you want to see first, eh?" he asked, eyes flicking from Silver to Crystal madly and a strange smile still hitched up on his face.

"Er... sir? What exactly did Gold do to you? The thief?" Crystal prompted, and the man dropped his Pokeballs with a clatter.

"Oh, I'm so clumsy... sorry, what did you ask about my Shuckle?" he said airily, avoiding eye contact.

"Ah, so you do have a Shuckle!" Silver said, enthused. "Great! I know it's a lot to ask, but we're here on a mission of mercy. There's a sick Miltank at the Moomoo farm outside Olivine City, and we need Shuckle's Berry Juice to heal it. Could we borrow your Shuckle, please?" The man's expression softened as talk was switched to an area he understood.

"Miltank, eh? Yes, Berry Juice would make it better. Ah, here's Shuckie's Pokeball... come on out, Shuckie!" A tortoise-like Pokemon with a gooey body and vase-like red shell appeared, blinking dumbly up at them all. The man grabbed a nearby bottle and, with Silver's help he tilted Shuckie at just the right angle; foul-smelling liquid trickled into the bottle, and when it was full the Pokemon man corked it and handed it over with a smile. "Happy to help! Shuckie is as well, of course. By the way, I heard you mention Olivine City... Well, there's a pharmacist nearby who has a patient there, and nobody to deliver the medicine... if you're passing through the city, of course, I'm sure he'd be very grateful..." the man hinted heavily. Silver turned to Crystal with a grin.

"Ready to save another life?" he asked.

"Always," she replied, and turned back to look at the Pokemon man. "We'll be happy to do it. Where's the pharmacist's house?" The Pokemon man gave them directions, seemingly normal now that conversation had been switched firmly from Gold, and he saw them out of his own abode with one arm cradling Pokeballs and the other waving frantically. As the door closed behind them, Silver glanced at Crystal again.

"That was... easy," he said evasively.

"Mmm..." Crystal replied, avoiding his gaze. Both of them had been disturbed by the fact that Gold had been here, and stolen the man's Pokemon. Not only that, he appeared to have destabilised the man's mental health – perhaps permanently. Morals were not high on his agenda, it seemed, but cruelty was. They found the pharmacist's house without too much difficulty and were welcomed into his home. The pharmacist himself was a chilled-out, red-haired man with sunglasses, and his living room was full of shelves crammed with all sorts of odd ingredients. Gengar fur, water from a Marill's Water Gun, a Croconaw tooth... and many more besides.

"So, what are you here for, my friends?" he asked smoothly as they sat down, furnished with some refreshments.

"We heard from the Pokemon collector that you have a patient in Olivine City, and we're heading there next. We came to offer to take the potion with us, unless it's already been sent," Silver said. The man's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he kept his face as impassive as he could.

"Really? And what would you like in return?" he asked quietly. Silver and Crystal looked at each other in puzzlement.

"Er... we weren't... er... exactly looking for any payment, sir. We just heard you needed a delivery boy, so we volunteered..." Silver replied uncomfortably. He hadn't expected this reaction. The pharmacist's eyes widened further.

"You don't want payment? You are a rare type of people, I must say... If you are willing, then I would certainly be grateful. The patient is a sick Ampharos, who lives in the Light House. I think it belongs to, or at least is close to, the Gym Leader, Jasmine," he said quickly, examining the rows of bottles and jars until he snatched up a particular potion. "Here we are... now, instruct Ampharos to drink all of that up, and he'll be up and about in no time. I cannot thank you enough for this, should you carry it out. If you return to Cianwood and ever need a potion or healing of any kind, do not hesitate to ask," he handed the potion to Crystal and beamed.

"Actually, we were wondering about something," she replied, putting the potion in her pocket. "Do you know what's wrong with the Pokemon collector? He seemed a little... odd," she finished apologetically.

"Ah... a rather sad tale, that. A criminal with red hair went into his house under the guise of wanting to see his Pokemon collection, and attacked him whilst his back was turned. He stole a couple of his Pokemon, and..." the pharmacist stopped here, as if it was painful, then forced himself to continue. "And he used his own Kadabra's Psywave to... how shall I say it... 'mess up his mind'. He's been petrified of visitors ever since, and especially me, with my red hair," The three of them fell silent as they pondered this horrible injustice.

"Didn't anybody try to stop him?" Silver asked desperately. The pharmacist gave a grim chuckle.

"The resident police officer tried. She was decimated. Her Pokemon were left in intensive care in the Pokemon Centre, and it took all of my skill to save them," Silence again. Silver and Crystal took this as their cue to leave, and after exchanging thank-yous they walked back to the dock, brooding over Gold once again.

"Well, at least we got not one potions but two," Crystal said bravely, then she saw the expression on Silver's face and touched his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry. He's actually broken a law now, so the police will be after him wherever he goes. He'll be in jail and his Pokemon rehabilitated before you know it,"

"Mmm..." Silver replied, refusing to be drawn on the subject. When further reply was not forthcoming, Crystal continued.

"I think that we should split up when we reach Olivine City again. Do you want to go to the Light House, or the Moomoo farm?" she asked him as they walked up the gangplank onto the waiting ship.

"I'll go to the Light House. You can run faster than me, and for longer, so you can get to the farm and back quicker," Silver decided, flashing the tickets at the guard and heading for the top deck.

"Good plan. I'll try to be back for your Gym battle, but obviously don't wait for me, because I'll be outside the Gym anyway," she replied. They sat next to the railings on the deck, feeling the spray splash their places as the boat started up and set sail for Olivine City again.

"No, I'll wait. You're a good friend, Crystal. If you want to, you can watch my Gym battle this time," Silver replied after some deliberation.

"Really? Why the change of heart?" she asked, surprised.

"I know you like watching me battle. I think your presence will help me, as well. I need someone to look after Togepi, after all," he added. Crystal smiled.

"Do you know who'll you be using in the battle?" she asked.

"No. I don't know how many I'll be allowed to use, or what types the Gym Leader uses. But I'd like to use Poliwag, just to test him out," Silver replied, and released Poliwag on a whim. The rotund Pokemon plopped down beside him, its tiny legs waving over the edge of the ship and its finned tail waving like a flag.

"Poli," it squeaked wisely.

"Are you up for a battle, Poliwag? When we get to Olivine City?" he asked him idly. Poliwag leapt to his feet and waved his tail around eagerly, before slipping over again with a splat. Crystal giggled.

"If only he'll be able to stay upright on the battle-field," she said, and Silver laughed.

"I'm sure you'll be great, Poliwag. Now return," Poliwag was pulled back inside his Pokeball after trying to give Silver an affectionate slap with his tail. Most of the rest of the sea journey passed in silence, even though Silver released all of his Pokemon to introduce Poliwag to the group. Togepi and Poliwag were both a similar height and a similar build, so got on uncommonly well, whereas the others seemed slightly sceptical. Tyrogue, on the other hand, greeted the Water Pokemon enthusiastically with a soft punch to the 'shoulder', which knocked Poliwag over and sent him spinning over the deck, leaving a slimy trail behind. Silver had to leap forwards in order to stop Poliwag hurtling off into the sea, and the Pokemon rewarded him with a sharp, salty slap with his tail which was clearly meant to express his gratitude. The news of Gold had disturbed Silver more deeply than he would have thought possible; even thinking about them being in the same place in a similar time frame had him unnerved. Now Gold, like him, had a full squad. Croconaw, Zubat, Haunter, Magnemite, Sneasel and Kadabra. He hated to admit it, but it was a more impressive team than he had. But he knew he wouldn't trade his team for all the Pokemon in the world, as he loved them all. The problem was, would they be able to stand up to Gold in a full-on six-on-six match-up, when Gold was so inherently vicious? Did Poliwag, Drowzee and Haunter have the temperament for real battles? Well, they had done their jobs admirably up until now. Poliwag had yet to be tested, but Silver knew he would step up to the mark with his stubby little feet when the time came. As he reviewed his quest, he realised that all of his Pokemon had played an absolutely pivotal role, and he wouldn't be where he was without them. Yes, he thought as he jumped up, they were equal to Gold's. What was more, they were happy and healthy, so he had the advantage. He watched them playing on the deck with renewed fondness and began to join in with them. When next he met Gold, as he knew he would, they would meet as equals. But that was a worry for the future. Today, he reasoned as he looked at his Pokemon, he was one of the luckiest Trainers alive.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 22**

Silver panted heavily as he stopped for the third time, completely out of breath. He had already ascended what felt like a billion stairs, and yet in front of him was yet another staircase. At this rate he would be up in the clouds before he reached the top. Crystal would have probably been to the Moomoo farm and back by now... He sighed as he began to ascend the next set of steps. All of this hard work on his poor feet was sadly necessary; at the top of the Light House was a sick Ampharos that desperately needed the potion he had brought from Cianwood City. He would crawl there on his hands and knees if necessary. With the repetitive thumping of his feet his only company in the stone staircase, he began to wonder why on his journey he hadn't caught a Machoke or something similar, who could carry him for the rest of the way. If only Noctowl was big enough for him to ride on... Lost in thought, he slammed head-on into a door and almost fell backwards down the stairs. Snapping back to attention as he realised just how much he didn't want to start the climb – the _trek_ – all over again, he grabbed the doorknob and steadied himself. Opening the door curiously, not daring to believe he had reached his goal at last, he entered the very top tier of the Light House. The room had glass walls which gave a perfect view of the world for miles around, and Silver averted his gaze to the stone floor. He had never been particularly fond of heights, and was deliberating his wisdom in volunteering himself to climb the Light House before a small voice distracted him.

"Um... hello? Who are you?" He looked up to see a girl a few years older than him, wearing a yellow dress and a few beads which held her hair up in two prongs. She seemed just as nervous as he did, if not more so. On a bed beside her, under the covers so only its yellow head peeked out, was Ampharos, completely still.

"My name's Silver. Here... this is from the pharmacist in Cianwood City; it's for your Ampharos," Silver pulled out the bottle and handed it to the girl, who took it lightly in her slim hands and retreated to Ampharos.

"Amphy... wake up, Amphy... This nice boy's brought something for you..." the girl cooed into Ampharos' ear, and it awoke slowly, groaning. "Open wide... good. There you are, Amphy... all gone. You'll be fine in no time at all," She hugged Ampharos tightly, who was already showing some improvement, then turned to Silver. "I cannot thank you enough for saving my Amphy. The beacon on his tail is used to guide ships in port at night," she said. After a moment of silence, the two of them turned away from each other, embarrassed. The girl obviously wasn't nearly as outgoing as Crystal, who he was used to, so he found the awkwardness uncomfortable.

"I'll.. I'll just leave, then..." he said feebly, gesturing to the door and walking quicker than he normally would to his escape route.

"Thank you again, Silver. I must get back to my Gym, Amphy..." as she addressed the Ampharos, Silver spun around to look at her again, stunned.

"Are you an apprentice of the Gym Leader here?" he asked excitedly; if she told him what sort of Pokemon she used, he could plan a strategy against the Leader themselves. She smiled slightly.

"Not exactly... the Gym belongs to me. I am Jasmine, the Gym Leader of Olivine City. If you wish to challenge me to battle, it's the least I could do after you saved Amphy," she indicated Ampharos. Silver reeled from the shock, but tried to make it less obvious. This nervous girl, a Gym Leader? The rest of them had been confident of their power and position, but he hadn't even guessed that she was a Trainer. When he realised she was gazing at him, he replied hurriedly,

"Oh... oh yeah, I'd love a Gym battle, if you don't mind..." Jasmine swept past him and beckoned him to follow, and he stifled a groan. He hadn't had time to come to terms with the gruelling descent yet. 'One foot in front of the other' he repeated to himself dully, trying to tune out his aching feet by running over his Pokemon's attacks and types so he would be ready for the Gym battle. He and Jasmine walked in complete silence, but whilst he was bored and achy, she was smooth and serene, as if she made this climb every day of her life. It made him feel profoundly wimpy to be more tired than this thin, nervous girl, and he straightened up and redoubled his pace to prove to himself at least that he was tough enough to stick it out. When they reached the foot of the Light House, he realised that, in fact, he wasn't. 'I'll be a wimp any day of the month if it means I don't have to do that again,' he thought to himself tiredly as he lagged behind as much as he dared, trying to rub the cramps out of his legs. Scott was unexpectedly waiting outside the Gym, but there was no sign of Crystal. As Jasmine held the door open for Silver to enter, he said, "Can I have a moment to speak to my friend here? I'll just let you... prepare..." he finished weakly, but fortunately Jasmine didn't complain and he was left to speak with Scott.

"You look like you've been through the mill," Scott observed as Silver bent over and let out a great breath. Now that Jasmine had disappeared, there was no need to fake being manly anymore.

"I think my legs have lost all feeling," he moaned, and Scott laughed.

"Well, you don't have much time to recover. Jasmine's waiting for you, and I've got some bad news; she uses the Steel type. I don't really know which types are good against Steel, apart from Fire. And just to forewarn you, she has a Steelix, which is partly Ground type. Which should negate the Fire advantage," he continued as Silver looked unresponsive.

"Steelix? Never heard of it. But at least I can wait until Crystal reappears before I have to battle; she's gone to the Moomoo farm, and I promised I wouldn't fight without her being there to watch," Silver gasped. Suddenly, Togepi started squealing wildly from his position in Silver's backpack. "What's up?" Silver asked it, unzipping him and bringing him in for a closer look. Togepi's gaze was fixed on a point over his shoulder, and he turned to see Crystal haring it towards them, Tyrogue by her side.

"What were you saying about recovery time?" Scott asked ironically, and Silver slapped his forehead with his hand.

"Hi Silver! Hi Scott," she added, and the man gave her a nod of acknowledgement. "Hey, don't be so happy to see me. This Gym battle is serious, you know," she said sarcastically after Silver's less than warm welcome. "What's wrong with _him_?" she asked Scott.

"Oh, just a bit of an ache. He'll be fit again in no time," Scott said in amusement.

"How's Miltank, anyway?" Silver asked her, glaring at Scott surreptitiously. Crystal smiled at him.

"I'm glad you asked. After drinking Shuckle's Berry Juice, she's just fine. Still thin and weak, but after a few days of eating and sleeping she'll make a full recovery. What about our endangered Ampharos?"

"Amphy's better as well," Silver replied before he could stop himself. Crystal burst out laughing and punched him non-too-lightly on the shoulder, forcing him to drop Togepi, who fortunately landed unharmed.

"_Amphy_? Nice name. I think somebody has a little crush on the Ampharos," she nudged Scott conspiratorially and Scott laughed as well.

"Oh, shut up. Jasmine, the Gym Leader, called him Amphy and I just picked it up. Besides, Jasmine's waiting for me, and I don't want to keep her waiting," he indicated the Gym and entered alone, showing the chuckling Crystal a cold shoulder. She followed anyway, picking up Togepi on the way after saying goodbye to Scott. The Gym itself was large and cavernous, with a huge rocky battle-field and little else. On one side of the pitch was a patient Jasmine, holding a Pokeball lightly. Silver slowly took up his position, doing his best to ignore his protesting legs and aching arm from where Crystal punched him.

"Are you ready to begin?" Jasmine asked politely as Crystal, Togepi and Tyrogue took a seat.

"Yes. Do you have any special rules here?" Silver replied.

"Two Pokemon each. Um... shall I start?" she replied, and Silver nodded, focusing as best he could on the battle-field rather than his cheering squad. "Magnemite, go!" A Magnemite hovered onto the battle-field, crackling with energy. Silver blanched, remembering his last encounter with a Magnemite, before retorting,

"Quilava, let's show them how it's done!"

"Quilava!" Quilava rippled sinuously as it landed, its back-flames roaring into life.

"Magnemite, use Thunder Wave on Quilava, quickly!" Jasmine cried, and electric bolts hurtled from Magnemite's magnets towards the waiting Quilava.

"Jump up, Quilava!" Silver ordered, and Quilava leapt up above the bolts; luckily, this had the desired effect of throwing Jasmine off-track. "Quickly, whilst they're unsure! Use Quick Attack!" Quilava hurtled towards Magnemite, with a glowing trail like that of a meteor behind him, and the two collided with a solid thump. Magnemite's electric barrage stopped as it concentrated on stabilising itself, whilst Quilava landed, luckily no worse the wear after the hard impact.

"Magnemite, use Supersonic!" Jasmine said, and a cone of sonic energy emanated from Magnemite's eye, engulfing Quilava and making him squeak with discomfort. When the attack stopped, Quilava seemed unsure of its steps, and tottered around falteringly. Silver cursed to himself as he realised Quilava was confused. "Magnemite, Thundershock!" Jamine's voice brought him back on track, and he shouted,

"Quilava, roll to the left, and use Smokescreen!" Quilava, however, still looked as if it was wondering where it was, and the Thundershock struck true. The bolts wracked his thin body as Magnemite pumped hundreds of volts from his magnets, his eye focused solely on his opponent as his brow furrowed with concentration. When the attack stopped, Quilava was twitching, and his back-flames had gone out. "Come on, Quilava! We can do this!" Silver encouraged. A lucky side effect of the Thundershock was that it appeared to have brought Quilava back to his senses; he jumped back to his feet and stood ready for battle again. "Great job! Now, use your Smokescreen to block Magnemite's vision!" Smoke shrouded the Fire Pokemon as it poured from his mouth; a thick black bank of fog that rendered him invisible.

"Magnemite, use Sonic Boom to blow away the cloud!" Jasmine said quickly, and a current of crackling electricity-charged air throbbed from Magnemite, crashing into the Smokescreen and quickly dispersing it.

"Quilava, quickly! Use Flame Wheel on Magnemite!" The revealed Quilava took advantage of Magnemite's position to launch a swirling barrage of flames. The red, yellow and orange Catherine wheel churned around Magnemite and closed in until the Electric Pokemon was obscured to view, until, with one final bang, the fiery orb exploded outwards. A charred and blackened Magnemite crashed to the ground with a feeble crackle of static.

"Magnemite, return. Steelix, go! Show them your iron-clad defence!" Steelix emerged as Magnemite was recalled; a massive, ponderous iron snake that rumbled ominously. Silver remembered Scott's warning about Steelix being a part Ground type, but reasoned that Quilava may as well weaken the fearsome beast for Poliwag. By the looks of things, the Water Pokemon was going to need all the help he could get.

"Quilava, use Smokescreen again to confuse Steelix!" Once again a cloud of smoke gushed from Quilava's open mouth, until half the battle-field was a haze of blackness. Steelix reared up like a cobra, bellowing angrily as it prepared to attack; Jasmine, however, seemed cool, calm and collected.

"Steelix, use your Earthquake attack!" Steelix grunted an acknowledgement, and before Silver could order Quilava to do anything it rose up and slammed itself onto the ground forcefully. Silver himself was thrown off his feet by the blow, and when he looked up the Smokescreen was dispersing; not a good sign. When it completely disappeared, he could see Quilava's unconscious form splayed on the ground, and he recalled him.

"You did well, Quilava. Anybody would have fainted after getting hit by that attack. But now it's your turn, Poliwag!"

"Poli?" Poliwag looked confused for a second as it emerged, almost causing Silver to fall over again in consternation.

"Poliwag, focus! There's the enemy!" he pointed at Steelix, and Poliwag squeaked in fear, running behind Silver and peering from between his legs, shaking. "Can you give us a second?" he asked Jasmine nervously; she would have the right to say that Poliwag was unwilling to battle. Fortunately, however, she was gracious and let Silver crouch down to speak to Poliwag. "I know this is your first real battle, and I shouldn't throw you into the deep end, but I'm relying on you Poliwag. If you really don't want to battle, I'll use someone else, but I hope you'll do it for me. How about it?" Poliwag looked uncertain for a second again before stumbling back out onto the battle-field, a determined look in its eyes. Silver had to admit that the two Pokemon looked horribly outmatched, but he knew he had a type advantage so ignored their size difference.

"Way to go, Poliwag! We knew you could do it!" Crystal called from the sidelines.

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue punched the air, and Togepi struggled to copy him but ended up flat on his back. Poliwag was heartened by this and now looked really ready for battle.

"Are you ready to... um... continue?" Jasmine asked quietly, and Silver nodded. "In that case, Steelix, hit Poliwag with another Earthquake attack!" Steelix reared up again frighteningly, and Silver cried,

"Poliwag, jump when I tell you to!" Poliwag nodded, and as Steelix came crashing down Silver shouted, "Now!" Unfortunately, Poliwag's legs were too short to build up much of a jump, and he still caught the shockwave of the attack and was sent rolling backwards. "Don't worry, Poliwag. I should've known that was going to happen," Silver said, and Poliwag staggered to his feet slowly. "Try a Hypnosis attack," he encouraged, and Poliwag stumbled closer to Steelix, its belly swirl rotating rapidly.

"Steelix, Iron Tail, whilst it's up close!" Jasmine ordered, but Steelix's tiny eyes were focused on the swirling belly of his opponent. Eventually its eyes drooped, and it dropped to the ground with a crash, asleep.

"Nice Hypnosis, Poliwag! Try a Doubleslap attack whilst Steelix is asleep!" Poliwag hopped towards Steelix and used his powerful tail to deliver some stinging slaps to his face; more powerful, in fact, than Silver would have believed. It gave him an idea, which he realised he needed as Steelix awoke again angrily.

"Thank Poliwag for the wake-up call with another Earthquake attack!" Jasmine cried, and Steelix reared up yet again.

"Poliwag, use your tail to jump!" Silver said, ready for it this time. Poliwag's feet were barely capable of walking, but his tail was very well-developed indeed. Poliwag obediently sat down on his tail, and at just the right split-second he flipped it out from underneath him, sending him flying upwards. "Yes! Now, Water Gun, whilst Steelix is confused!" Steelix's look of amazement changed to displeasure as a jet of water hit him full in the face. He roared with pain and ducked away, snapping his huge jaws.

"Steelix, ram him with a Tackle attack!" Jasmine said, but her voice was quiet this time. Had she given up?

"Poliwag, get ready with that tail of yours! Left, quickly! Then off the wall..." Poliwag carried out Silver's plan beautifully. Using his tail to flip himself up and out of the way of Steelix's Tackle, he angled himself just right to hit the wall with his tail, propelling him up and over Steelix once again. "Finish him off with another Water Gun!" Silver cried, and a flood of water smashed into the top of Steelix's head, forcing him to crash to the floor. He made to rise as Poliwag landed unsteadily, but gave up and fainted, falling with a crash. "Poliwag, yes! That was fantastic!" Silver cried, and Poliwag tried to run over to him but slipped over yet again. He compensated by waving his tail like a victory flag as Jasmine approached Silver.

"That was a good battle. I wouldn't have thought it possible for a Poliwag to be agile, but I didn't even consider your tactic. Here is your Mineralbadge," she handed over a small, shiny badge, which as always he clipped onto his jacket next to the others.

"Thank you, Jasmine. Your Pokemon were really powerful; I thought I was going to lose for sure when Poliwag got hit by Steelix's Earthquake," Silver confessed.

"OK, break it up, break it up," Crystal stomped onto the field and dragged him away before hugging him. "You were really good, Silver. Even I didn't guess you were going to use Poliwag like that," she said, smiling widely.

"Poliwag himself gave me the idea, didn't you, Poliwag?" He patted the Poliwag beside him and smiled back at Crystal, whose expression was agog.

"Oh my..." Jasmine's soft voice said, and she covered her mouth.

"What? What's wrong?" Silver asked.

"Poliwhirl?" a similarly-questioning voice from beside him said, and it took him a split-second to realise what had happened. He turned sharply and saw that his hand was resting not on Poliwag, but Poliwhirl!

"Poliwag, you evolved already! Wow, you must've got tons of experience from that Steelix. Well done, anyway," he said, patting Poliwhirl's head.

"Poliwhirl!" Poliwhirl replied, the happiness gleaming in its eyes. Gone was the famous tail, but fortunately now he could stand on his own two legs without fear of slipping over. The Mineralbadge gleamed on his chest like the Steelix he had defeated, and he looked from it to Poliwhirl proudly. For the fourth time, his Pokemon had evolved in a Gym Battle! First Quilava, then Haunter, then Noctowl, and now Poliwhirl! Amazing. But for some reason, neither he nor Poliwhirl took the time to complain about it.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 23**

"Back to Cianwood City already. It feels almost surreal... I haven't been there since we moved away, and now I'm going there for the second time in two days," Crystal said as the boat pulled into the Cianwood City dock.

"Well, at least today you get to see Master Chuck in battle," Silver said, and Crystal and Tyrogue immediately took up a karate pose.

"Hoo-hah! Very true, my friend, very true. You were great against Jasmine, but Master Chuck won't fall for a trick like that. He's too canny. All Fighting type Trainers are," she tapped the side of her head knowingly before almost tripping over on her way down the gangplank. After his battle with Jasmine and Poliwhirl's evolution, Silver and his Pokemon had spent a much-needed night of rest at the Pokemon Centre before heading straight back out to Cianwood City first thing in the morning. He knew for sure that Chuck used Fighting types, thanks mainly to Crystals' continuous references to him and his fighting styles, and he liked to believe that he had this one in the bag. Drowzee, Noctowl and Haunter would all be great against Fighting Pokemon, and Poliwhirl had proved by swimming alongside the ship for the whole journey that he was no slouch either. Quilava was great in almost any situation, and Eevee, despite being a Normal type, was one of the fastest and pluckiest Pokemon Silver had ever seen.

"Any idea how many Pokemon Master Chuck will use?" Silver asked as they strolled the streets of tiny, isolated Cianwood City at a leisurely pace.

"Well, he has a Primeape, I believe. A _famous_ Primeape. And Poliwrath is another of his favourites," Crystal said knowingly, showing off her extensive knowledge of her idol.

"Poliwrath and Primeape, eh? What do you think, guys?" Silver asked of his Pokemon, whom he had released so they could get some fresh air before the battle and join them on their stroll. Noctowl merely looked at him wisely, imparting a silent message of confidence as he flew along without a sound. Eevee squeaked determinedly, ready and in fact eager for a fight despite his type disadvantage. Poliwhirl clenched his glove-like fist in readiness, his eyes burning with resolve as he strode along on his now-strong legs. Quilava nuzzled Silver's leg, and Silver knew that he would always be at his command, no matter what. Drowzee, predictably, gave a smile and the old thumbs-up, and beside him Haunter morphed himself into Drowzee's lookalike and did exactly the same thing, but in purple. Silver himself was supremely ready for the battle, and was actually looking forward to it; for once he would have a clear advantage, and he would have the satisfaction of bringing down Crystal's idol right in front of her. Cruel, perhaps, but something he thought necessary after the continuous streams of advice, warnings and abuse he had received at her hands when he had announced to her that he was heading straight back to Cianwood to challenge him.

"I don't care whether you have the world's greatest team of Alakazams; Master Chuck still won't be a pushover," Crystal said as she watched the Pokemon speak wordlessly with their master. Togepi squeaked from the backpack on her back; Silver had given her custody of the creature until after his battle, when he would reward himself with a good polish of Togepi's shell.

"Anyone with the world's greatest team of Alakazams wouldn't bother wasting time with someone like Master Chuck," Silver said slyly, deliberately trying to incense her; she retaliated with a swift punch to the shoulder that left it tingling.

"You may be my best friend, but nobody insults Master Chuck in front of me," she promised him, wagging her finger under his nose.

"Best friend?" he replied, stunned. When he thought about it, of course, he realised that she was his best friend too, although it was odd hearing it out loud.

"Yes, of course. With all we've been through together, how can there be any doubt?" she said it lightly but Silver sensed the emotion behind her words, and he found it was emotion that he shared in. It seemed like years ago when she had challenged him to a battle just after he had been to Sprout Tower in Violet City.

"No matter what happens in the Gym, we'll be best friends forever, OK?" he said to her, and she beamed and shook his hand.

"Unless you beat Master Chuck, of course..." she said, but he knew she didn't mean it. It wasn't long before they stood in front of the Cianwood City Gym; the words on the front were superimposed over a picture of a split rock. The building itself reminded Silver of the dojo he and Crystal had visited all that time ago. "Shall we go in?" Crystal offered, opening the door, and Silver walked in silently, psyching himself up. After his battle with Jasmine, he was still full of adrenaline, and he knew his Pokemon had never been better. He kept reminding himself not to take any opponent lightly, but it was difficult. Inside the Gym, there were large mats laid out on the floor, upon which many people of all shapes and sizes seemed to be practising. Weights, karate, mock duels... Suddenly, a woman appeared beside them, smiling warmly.

"Good morning. Have you come to participate in our class today?" she asked. Before Silver could say no, Crystal gushed,

"Yes, oh yes, we'd love to!"

"Well... actually, I was hoping to challenge Master Chuck, the Gym Leader, to a battle..." Silver said awkwardly, and the woman laughed.

"Don't let him hear you say that. It's Chuck, and only Chuck. I'm his wife. A Gym battle, eh? Well, why not. In fact, I'll give you a present if you win; my husband's been getting a bit chubby recently, and he needs a good workout," Crystal was huffy at somebody criticising her idol, but Silver was spared a cat fight by the arrival of none other than Chuck himself. The man was very tall and heavily built, but under his tanned skin there were huge layers of muscle rather than fat. He walked around bare-chested but wore traditional karate trousers, with bare feet.

"Who are these fine young fellows?" he boomed, gazing from Crystal to Silver jovially, and Silver realised that despite his imposing figure he was actually harmless. Silver was about to respond with a challenge, but Crystal shoved him out of the way, and she stood starry-eyed before Chuck.

"My name's Crystal, and this is Tyrogue! We're here to participate in your class, if you'll have us, of course. You've been my idol ever since I was little," she said, not at all her usual self. Silver took great pleasure in dragging her away for once and speaking to Chuck himself.

"I'm Silver, from New Bark Town, and I've come to challenge you for a Stormbadge. If you don't mind, of course..." he added, seeing just how monumental the Fighting master was. Chuck let out a booming laugh.

"Of course I don't mind! If you'll just let me finish this class, I'll be with you in about half an hour. You and your charming friend are welcome to join, of course," Silver could see no way out of a workout now, and so let Crystal drag him over to an unoccupied mat.

"He said I was charming," she swooned, and Silver rolled his eyes.

"I could've told you that. Now, are we training or not?" he wasn't particularly eager to start the workout, but this new Crystal had him thoroughly unnerved. Crystal and Tyrogue began to spar, Crystal shooting furtive glances at Chuck every so often to see if he was watching, and Silver looked at his arrayed Pokemon critically. "Poliwhirl, as you've grown arms, we may as well get you started on the weights, to toughen them up slightly. Noctowl... hmm. How d'you feel about grabbing some weights in your claws and flying up and down? Hopefully that will increase your wing power," Noctowl nodded and flapped over to join Poliwhirl by the weights. "Quilava, you can have some running practice; laps around the mat. Yeah, that's the idea... Haunter. Well, what can I do with you? You aren't exactly physical yourself, are you, and your Lick attack is at about its peak power. Just to keep you out of trouble, you can work on your mid-air agility. Just imagine objects flying at you from every direction. In fact, Drowzee, can you continue to refine your Confusion and lob objects at Haunter? Thanks," Everyone seemed to be occupied, but then he felt a nudge on his shoe. "Oh, Eevee, I'm sorry. You can work on your jumps, and twisting in mid-air. You're an agile sort of fighter anyway, so hopefully that should improve your skills. Togepi, you come with me. We can run laps with Quilava," For the next half-hour, Silver found himself actually having fun as he and his Pokemon trained alongside each other. It wasn't something he had particularly looked into before, but he realised that it could have its merits. After what seemed like a short time, a bell chimed, and the various students began to pile up their mats and leave. "Nice work, guys," Silver panted to his Pokemon. "Especially you, Togepi. You'll be a world-class athlete in no time," he added, and Togepi jumped up and down on his tiny feet.

"You looked like you were having fun," Crystal piped up, and Tyrogue punched the air beside her as always.

"We were, funnily enough. I think that was just the thing to get us hyped up for this battle. If we're not too weakened by it," he added, looking at his Pokemon worriedly. Many of them were sweating, apart from Haunter (who probably didn't have any sweat anyway) and, of course, the ever-relaxed Drowzee, who looked like he had just climbed out of bed after a particularly long night. However, they looked up to the challenge of a Gym battle, which was just as well as Chuck appeared beside them. Crystal immediately swooned again but Silver did his best to ignore her.

"Your Pokemon certainly look in good condition. I'm quite looking forward to our battle. Care to begin?" he said as he looked over Silver's Pokemon. Silver swelled in pride at the compliment and took his place opposite Chuck, returning all of his Pokemon so Chuck wouldn't know which one he had lined up first. Crystal was visibly torn on the sidelines; should she go with her best friend, or her idol? Togepi seemed to be cheering for both in his perpetually happy state, whilst Chuck's wife made no attempt to disguise that she was rooting for Silver.

"What do you think, Tyrogue? Silver or Master Chuck?" she asked her companion. Tyrogue shrugged, then stood directly in the middle of the two battlers. His meaning was clear; root for both and she'd win whatever the outcome was.

"You're so wise, Tyrogue," she said, ruffling his head, and he jumped and punched the air with a happy,

"Tyrogue!"

"Ready to battle, Silver? Two Pokemon each," Chuck asked, before splitting a nearby boulder with one blow.

"Your strength has nothing to do with Pokemon battling," Silver pointed out, and Chuck laughed.

"Right you are. Not so easily rattled, are you? Well, then, let's see if this can shake you up! Primeape, go!" The angry ape-like Pokemon appeared on the battle-field, growling and snarling savagely.

"Haunter, I choose you!" Silver retorted, and the purple Ghost Pokemon appeared with a weird grin on his face and a high-pitched laugh.

"Primeape, use Rage, let's go!" Chuck bellowed, and Primeape stomped, spat, snarled and smashed the ground with his fists as he worked himself into a demented state.

"Whilst he's preoccupied, use Night Shade attack!" Silver said, and Haunter launched vicious bolts of black energy from his eyes. They slammed directly into Primeape, who sprang up seemingly none the worse for wear and ten times angrier.

"Unleash your anger!" Chuck ordered, and Primeape screamed with fury as he launched himself at the Ghost Pokemon in front of him, arms waving; a direct hit from one of those fists would be devastating. Well, for any other Pokemon. His blows went straight through Haunter, who further enraged him with a cackle of derision.

"Haunter, use your Lick to Paralyse Primeape!" Silver said, and Haunter slid delicately through Primeape's thrashing punches and unleashed a long and deliberate Lick attack straight to his face. Primeape keeled over, motionless, and for a moment he looked completely defeated. However, then he sprang up with even greater anger in his eyes and even wilder blows as he snorted and screeched furiously. "What does it take to beat this guy?" Silver muttered, and Haunter shrugged whilst completely ignoring Primeape's hefty strikes. "Hmm... try a Shadow Ball. And ramp up the power, OK?"

"Haunter," Haunter replied to the affirmative and in a leisurely fashion he created a large ball of wriggling shadows before pitching it directly at the infuriated Primeape. It crashed into him dead-on and threw him back several metres, a devastating blow to any Pokemon. But once again Primeape jumped to his stamping feet, madder than ever.

"Ha! That's showin' 'em the old resistance, Primeape! Grit, that's what it is!" Chuck barked with laughter. Silver began to get angry himself. This Primeape, whom he expected to beat easily, just kept on coming.

"Haunter, let's see if we can neutralise that resistance with a Hypnosis!" he said, and Haunter gazed directly into Primeape's eyes and soothed his mind with rippling Psychic energy. Primeape's blows slowed, then stopped, as the fury seeped away from his face, until eventually he fell flat, asleep. "Finish him off with a Dream Eater!" This was the first time Haunter had ever been given this command, but Silver reasoned that the Ghost was at about the right level to learn the move. As an added bonus, it was Psychic type, so it would be super effective against Primeape. Haunter drifted over to the slumbering creature and, after several tries, managed to pull off a vicious Dream Eater attack. Red energy flooded out of Primeape and into Haunter as Haunter drained his foe's life. Primeape snapped awake and tried to lift his arm, but he failed after several shuddering seconds and fainted.

"Primeape, return. You did well, considering we couldn't hurt Haunter. But that's not the case with my next Pokemon; go, Poliwrath! Let your fists do the talking!" Poliwhirl's evolved form took the field, much larger and bulkier than Poliwirl himself and sporting grim, dark eyes.

"Stay ready, Haunter. He's part Water, so he can hurt you," Silver warned.

"Poliwrath, Hypnosis!" Chuck cried, and Poliwrath's stomach swirled around quickly as Psychic waves emanated from it.

"Counter with your own Hypnosis, Haunter!" Silver ordered, and Haunter unleashed his own sleep-inducing attack. The two forces met in mid-air, and silently grappled for supremacy. Neither Pokemon moved a muscle as their powers clashed, but all of a sudden it was over. Haunter floated to the floor, out for the count, and Poliwrath crashed down on the other side of the pitch. They were both asleep!

"Poliwrath! Focus Energy!" Chuck called to his Pokemon. Poliwrath jumped back up to his feet, recovering from the Hypnosis thanks to his focused energy, and he looked ready for battle again. "Now, use Surf!" Water spewed from the centre of Poliwrath's stomach swirl, until it rose in a great wave that hovered over Haunter like a demon, with Poliwrath balanced on top of it. Before Haunter could wake up, the wave crashed down, and Poliwrath with it. The impact shook the Gym itself, and needless to say Haunter hadn't come out of it too well.

"Haunter, come back. You were fantastic out there. Drowzee, it's your turn! Use your own Hypnosis attack!" Drowzee came onto the field in silence, his eyes glowing and arms waving as he struck down the soaked Poliwrath with yet another sleeping attack. Poliwrath looked set to slump over again, but Chuck shouted,

"Focus your Energy again, Poliwrath! You can beat this!" Poliwrath stopped and stood still, its eyes closed as it summoned enough energy to throw off the Hypnosis.

"Drowzee, now! Use Pound attack!" Drowzee raised his arm high and brought it down fast in a ringing blow that made Poliwrath shudder from his eyes down to his feet. However, the Water Pokemon had weathered the blow, and his eyes snapped open.

"Great work, Poliwrath! Hit him with Dynamicpunch!" Poliwrath's fists glowed with power as he swung his bulky arms with terrifying speed and power, smashing into Drowzee and pummelling him away so hard that he rolled several times before stopping.

"Drowzee, no! Can you get up?" Silver asked concernedly, and he heard Crystal gasp from her position on the sidelines.

"Drow... Drowzee..." Drowzee murmured, getting to his feet and rubbing his head ruefully.

"I knew you wouldn't fail me! Well, we know that physical attacks aren't the answer against a physical Pokemon, so we'll have to go one step further. Hit him with Confusion!" Drowzee waved his arms again as he collected the Psychic energy within himself, ready to unleash upon his opponent.

"Poliwrath, Surf him good whilst he's concentrating!" Chuck ordered, and water swilled around Poliwrath once more as it powered up the attack. The wave, when it was fully built, rushed towards Drowzee with Poliwrath at its head, its fist pointing towards Drowzee in a direct challenge. It was at times like this that Silver was glad that Drowzee was completely unflappable; the wave was inches away when he managed to halt it in its path, as if it had crashed against an invisible wall. Poliwrath had time to look confused for a second before the Psychic power rippled through the wave, dissipating it in a spray of water. Poliwrath was hurled up into the air for a moment before Drowze's Confusion halted him, shortly before slamming him back to the ground and hitting him with another Psychic pulse.

"Drowzee, that was great! Well done!" Silver enthused as Chuck regretfully withdrew his Pokemon. Drowzee smiled fuzzily and flashed him the thumbs-up before glowing a blinding white. No, surely not... five Gym evolutions in a row? What were the chances of that? Very good apparently, as Hypno had appeared where Drowzee was seconds before. Hypno immediately crossed his arms and tipped Silver a small nod, the pendant swinging from his fingers of its own accord. "Hypno... wow. Well, your character obviously hasn't changed," Silver said, quite flabbergasted by the developments.

"Just to completely blow your mind, here's the Stormbadge," Chuck chipped in unhelpfully, and Crystal came over to pin it on his jacket as he looked incapable of doing it himself.

"You were both spectacular. Well done for winning, Silver, but you must admit that Master Chuck is a truly tough opponent," she said.

"Yeah.. yeah, you've got that right," Silver replied as yet another person appeared on the field; Chuck's wife.

"I knew you could do it, Silver. I said I had a present for you, and I do. Here... it's a flying harness. The special design negates your weight, and, when strapped to a Flying Pokemon like Noctowl, allows it to carry you. If you don't mind heights, of course..." Silver thanked her as she ladled the complicated harness into his hands.

"But will it take two passengers?" he asked. Crystal and Chuck's wife exchanged a nervous glance.

"Well... Silver, I've been thinking. I think I want to stay here for a bit, to refine my fighting technique," Crystal said awkwardly. Silver stared at her open-mouthed, devastated by the news.

"But you've been here for almost all of my journey! I'm so close to the end, now... only two badges left," he pleaded, but he saw it was useless.

"I know. I'd love to keep journeying with you, and perhaps I can link up with you further down the line, but I feel like I really have to do this," Crystal replied. Were those tears clustering in her eyes? Silver swallowed.

"OK... If you want to stay here, then do. Good luck with your training, Crystal. I'll never forget you," he said with difficulty.

"And I'll never forget you, either. Best friends to the end?" she said bravely, and there were definite tears shining in her eyes now as she extended her hand.

"Best friends to the end. Come here..." he ignored her hand and drew her into a tight hug, feeling tearful himself.

"Will I ever see you again?" she whispered despite herself.

"You can count on it. If only on TV, when I beat the Champion," he replied. She giggled in a waterlogged sort of way.

"Be sure to mention me in your victory speech," she said.

"Of course I will. Along with Mum, Dad, Togepi and the rest of the team," he vowed.

"Hypno will of course take priority over me. I understand this. Remember to mention _Amphy_ as well," she teased. He laughed, wondering when he would hear her teasing again.

"Well... I'd better go. To test out this harness," he gestured feebly at the door and Crystal nodded in silence as he left. When he reached the beach, he let out a great sigh. "Come out, Noctowl," he said dully, and the Owl Pokemon appeared next to him.

"Towl?" Noctowl hooted questioningly.

"Crystal's staying here for now. It's just you, me and the rest of the gang now, Noctowl. Are you OK with wearing this, by the way?" he gestured at the formidable-looking harness, but Noctowl saw his master's grief and allowed him to strap him in without complaint. After a while, he managed to tighten the straps around himself, a time-consuming but not too difficult job, although he felt ridiculous. "Noctowl, try carrying me. If it's too heavy, we can take the boat," He was already hoping that he would be too heavy, but Noctowl lifted him up without any difficulty and trilled in victory. "Nice work, Noctowl. Looks like those wing exercises worked after all, eh?" he said, and Noctowl hooted down at him. "Next stop, Mahogany Town. Just go North East from here, Noctowl; when necessary, I'll use the Pokegear to guide us," Noctowl looked all set to take off, but suddenly a familiar voice came from behind.

"Silver! Wait up! You forgot Togepi!" Silver slapped his forehead; how could he have forgotten such an important thing? Then he realised that subconsciously he probably forgot it on purpose, so he could see Crystal one last time.

"Thanks. Wow, I really goofed there... Come here, Togepi. That's it. Well," After zipping Togepi back up securely, he found himself close to Crystal again, and it was strangely awkward. "See you, Tyrogue," he said pitifully, and Tyrogue punched the air and jumped up by way of farewell.

"You look ridiculous," Crystal giggled as she looked at him suspended in his harness.

"I'm just glad that Noctowl has no fashion sense, or else he'd drop me into the sea mid-way," Silver replied ruefully, and she laughed again. There was another silence between them.

"Silver..." Crystal began, but suddenly she found that she didn't have the words. "Goodbye," she settled for, and retreated back to the Gym with Tyrogue at a run.

"Let's go, Noctowl," Silver sighed watching her run. Separated by fate... his own tears mingled with the sea water below him as Noctowl began the long journey back to the mainland.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 24**

Silver was late. Unfortunately for him, he had forgotten to set his alarm last night, and had also forgotten that his best friend Crystal would be there as an alarm substitute. Thus, he had brunch instead of breakfast, dressed and washed as quickly as possible and finally, at a run, found himself a secluded area. He didn't want to dress up in his harness in public, after all. He had stopped in Ecruteak City for the night, because even though Noctowl said he could go further, Silver wanted him well-rested and put under no more strain than was necessary. With luck, and weather permitting, they would reach Mahogany Town that same day, and the day after he could challenge the Gym Leader to a battle. With Poliwag and Drowzee's respective evolutions, he now felt that he had a real shot at becoming the Champion, and had composed what he hoped would be a great team in any situation. As he strapped himself into the harness, as well as a freed and completely unruffled Noctowl, he felt a splatter across his forehead. Looking up, he saw that there were ominous grey clouds gathering, and drops of rain were plummeting from them already. _Weather permitting_... Great. Now what would he do? He didn't want to place Noctowl or the Togepi on his back in any danger, after all.

"What d'you reckon, Noctowl? Can you fly in this, or would it be better to wait?" Noctowl twisted his head around slightly as if trying to increase his brain power, before responding with a hoot. Silver took this to mean that Noctowl _could_ fly in such circumstances, but would make better progress when there were clear skies. "Looks like a few hours of training are ahead, then," Silver said to himself, laboriously unstrapping himself from the harness and recalling Noctowl as he made his way back to the Pokemon Centre. He needed to be doing something, anything, if he wanted to keep his mind off Crystal. His best friend, separated from him when he least expected it. But, he reminded himself, it was her decision, so he should respect it. But it was curiously hard to respect something that he didn't like. 'Stop,' he said to himself. 'You're thinking about it again,'. He cast his mind around for another topic, and his attention was caught by a TV screen in a window next to the Pokemon Centre. It showed blurry pictures of a Gyarados, but one whose scales were red rather than blue. What did it mean? Was it real? Why were its scales red? There were various experts debating the point, but Silver couldn't hear them above the rain. What he did pick up was that it had been sighted in the Lake of Rage, which was just north of Mahogany Town. The topic of the Gyarados took him up to his room, but when he had pondered every possible eventuality, his mind went back to Crystal. He promised himself to visit the Lake of Rage when he was at Mahogany Town, and check out the Gyarados, but what could he do until then? He went down to the lobby of the Pokemon Centre to give his Pokeballs in for some treatment, and stopped as he passed a group of people.

"Yes, the Director said the Kimono Girls are open to all challengers..." one person said.

"I wouldn't want to be on the bad side of that Flareon," another shuddered.

"Forget about Flareon! What about Umbreon?" another one asked, and Silver moved on. The Kimono Girls, eh? The mind-numbingly boring dancers that had almost put him to sleep when he last visited Ecruteak. Perhaps he could get some good training out of this unscheduled pit-stop after all... He changed course from the nurse's desk and exited the Pokemon Centre, running through the rain-soaked streets until he found his way to the Dance Theatre. Togepi had fortunately not gotten very wet, and leastways he was happy whatever happened to him, especially when there was a tickling of the middle head-spike in it for him. Silver walked over to the reception desk and said to the attendant,

"Excuse me, I've heard that people can challenge the Kimono Girls to a Pokemon battle. Is this true?"

"Certainly, sir. Would you like to sign up?" the attendant replied brightly. Silver glanced uneasily at her expression. He was obviously the first hint of action all day, which meant that both the Kimono Girls would be well-rested and that nobody else had dared to challenge them yet. "You use one Pokemon against each sister. If you lose at any point, you have to start all over again," the attendant explained as he wrote his name down.

"So sort of like a mini Elite Four. Elite Five," he corrected himself, and the attendant nodded.

"Although they are all at the same high standard of training," she said, seemingly determined to damp his spirits. Well, the rain had done that already, and more besides. He entered the Dance Theatre through the door the attendant indicated, and found himself on the stage. It was wide and sturdy enough to be used as a battle-field, and something told Silver that this was on purpose. A Kimono Girl suddenly entered the stage from the other direction, and gave him a small, encouraging smile as she took up position.

"Welcome, Silver. I will be your first challenger. You may want to put your Togepi to the side," she reminded him, and he unhooked his backpack and settled it gently in the corner, Togepi's head poking out so he could watch the battle. "Shall we begin?" the girl asked, and he nodded. "Very well. Go, Jolteon!" The yellow and white spike-furred Electric Pokemon took its place on the stage, its whole body crackling with stored-up energy. Jolteon... he better not use Noctowl or Poliwhirl then.

"Quilava, go! Ready for battle, buddy?" he asked Quilava, who flashed on his back-flames in reply.

"Jolteon, start off with a Pin Missile!" the Kimono Girl cried, and Jolteon's fur all stood on end, a barrage of hairs flying from it like tiny arrows.

"Quilava, dodge it! Left... now, right..." Quilava ducked and rolled out of the Pin Missile's way, but Jolteon merely stood in position and kept firing like a machine-gun post. "Hmm... this isn't working. Use your Ember attack to burn up the pins," Silver changed his strategy, and Quilava stopped in his tracks and blew out a gout of flame that consumed the flying hairs. However, Jolteon merely continued to fire them, and Silver could see that Quilava was finding it difficult to keep up the Ember. "Another change of tactic. Use your Quick Attack! Try and dodge the pins on the way, as well," he added, and Quilava nodded. The Ember stopped and the pins flew at him, but suddenly he wasn't there anymore. He zig-zagged around, outpacing the pins with ease and getting steadily closer to Jolteon.

"Jolteon, stop! Use your Quick Attack to counter Quilava's," the Kimono Girl ordered. The Pin Missile stopped immediately and Jolteon charged at the stunned Quilava like a thunderbolt, sending him rolling backwards. However, it would take a lot more than that to finish him, and he was up on his feet a second later. "Jolteon, Thunderbolt attack!" the Kimono Girl continued, and Jolteon leapt into the air, its fur now visibly crackling with tiny bolts of electricity as it gathered together its power.

"Quilava, Quick Attack again. Try and go under Jolteon, so you end up behind him," Silver said quickly, and Quilava lanced off towards Jolteon, a trail glowing behind him. A bolt of electricity flashed from Jolteon's leaping form, but it landed just behind Quilava, who sped under Jolteon and pivoted swiftly. "Now, whilst Jolteon's back is turned! Flame Wheel!" As Jolteon landed, it was enveloped in a swirling pattern of fire that knocked it off its feet and sizzled its fur before exploding outwards, sending it reeling. "One last Quick Attack!" Quilava charged at Jolteon and rammed him viciously, and Jolteon's limp form crashed to a halt several metres away.

"No, my Jolteon! Return. You were good, Jolteon. My sister is waiting for you, Silver. Thank you for your battle," she bowed to him before walking elegantly off the stage, before being replaced by someone who looked exactly like her.

"You must be skilled to beat my sister," she said, and Silver replied,

"It was a tough battle," She smiled.

"This will be much tougher," This didn't exactly boost his confidence. "Flareon, I choose you!" A fiery creature similiar to Jolteon in the basic body form but irrevocably different took the field. Its fur swirled around it like red and orange flames, and its tail looked like a flickering tongue of fire.

"Quilava, return. I have to use a different Pokemon now, but you were brilliant against Jolteon. Poliwhirl, you're up!" Poliwhirl stood firmly and clenched his fists as he glared at the opponent.

"A type advantage. How miserable," the Kimono Girl sighed. "Battles should be tests of skill, not who has the best types,"

"Part of being a good Trainer is selecting the best types," Silver pointed out, and she nodded graciously.

"But we are not here for a debate. Flareon, use Flamethrower!" Flareon's mouth opened and a huge, billowing cone of fire lashed out from it hungrily. Quilava's Ember paled in comparison.

"Poliwhirl, use those legs of yours to dodge, then hit Flareon with a Bubblebeam," Poliwhirl nodded and jumped out of the Flamethrower's path, barely singeing himself. Glowing blue bubbles flashed from his fists and crashed into Flareon from the side, knocking it down with a squeak of pain. "Take your advantage! Use Doubleslap!" Silver cried, and Poliwhirl ran into battle, raising his hand to deliver some powerful blows.

"Flareon, use Double Team!" the Kimono Girl said, and Flareon got to its feet elegantly before a dozen copies of itself surrounded Poliwhirl. There was no way of telling which was real and which was fake. "Now, use Flamethrower again!" Fire seared from the mouth of each Flareon, but which was real?

"Poliwhirl, jump up!" Silver ordered, and Poliwhirl jumped upwards so that the fire passed underneath, giving him no more than some minor burns. "Nice save!" Silver complimented him as he landed safely, and Poliwhirl responded with a good-natured wave of his hand.

"Quick, Flareon! He still doesn't know where you are! Use your Double Edge!" Twelve Flareons charged at Poliwhirl viciously, and Silver was too late to warn him; the real foe crashed into Poliwhirl from behind, and sent him rolling across the polished stage. He eventually stopped with a squeak of his slippery skin on wood, clutching his head. Flareon himself was also panting heavily, as if it had been injured.

"Poliwhirl, can you get up?" Poliwhirl jumped to his feet confidently, ready once more. "Great! Now use Water Gun on Flareon!" Poliwhirl span on the spot so he was facing Flareon and sprayed him with a powerful jet of water.

"Flareon, dodge!" the Kimono Girl cried, but Silver had predicted that; the only place Flareon could go without getting cornered was up and over the Water Gun.

"Poliwhirl, up!" he shouted, and Poliwhirl adjusted his aim slightly; the Water Gun his Flareon squarely and there was no doubt in anybody's mind about whether he had survived the impact. It didn't even manage to squeak before it hit the floor, unconscious. "Fantastic, Poliwhirl! You were great!" Silver said, and Poliwhirl clenched his fist over his head and would have smiled if he had a mouth. "But return, sadly I can't use you again," As he recalled Poliwhirl the Kimono Girl said,

"You are obviously a skilled Trainer, but I feel that if I did not have the type disadvantage I could have given you a better battle. I am sorry," she said, her head bowed.

"Hey, that was a great battle! Don't worry about losing, you were right, it wasn't really fair of me to use Poliwhirl," Silver said quickly, and the Kimono Girl smiled at him before leaving, her head still bowed. Silver felt slightly guilty as the next Girl took the stage.

"You must have run roughshod over my sister to dishearten her like that. Perhaps I will furnish you with some amusement," the Kimono Girl said as she ascended to the stage; it could have been the one he had defeated before and he would have been none the wiser. "Vaporeon, go! Get ready for battle!" The smooth-skinned Eevee evolution emerged with a high-pitched squeak of readiness, looking like some strange sea-creature from another world.

"Well, nobody will be super-effective against Vaporeon... so it's your turn, Noctowl!" Noctowl flapped its wings and trilled in readiness on taking the stage. Silver hadn't used him in battle recently and was eager to see whether his huge amount of exercise in carrying Silver had affected his fighting style at all.

"Vaporeon, attack now with Bite!" the Kimono Girl pointed at Noctowl and Vaporeon sprinted forwards, baring its tiny fangs.

"Noctowl, fly upwards!" Silver said, and Noctowl's wings spread wide as they lifted him out of range of Vaporeon's attack.

"That was just what I was expecting. Knock him out of the air with a Water Gun!" the Kimono Girl smiled, and a burst of water struck Noctowl squarely, pushing him backwards as he hooted uncomfortably. When he recovered from the attack, and had shaken the water from his feathers, Silver said,

"I'm sorry, Noctowl. I should have foreseen that. Can you fly upwards again? But be ready to dodge more Water Guns," Noctowl rose up again obediently, hovering over Vaporeon.

"Vaporeon, leap up and hit Noctowl with a Tail Whip!" Vaporeon's finned tail rippled with muscles as the creature jumped up and swung it around to hit Noctowl.

"Noctowl, use Peck attack on Vaporeon's tail!" Silver said quickly. It was the only thing he could think of in such little time, but luckily it worked and Vaporeon landed perfectly on the stage, both he and Noctowl wounded slightly by the exchange. "Noctowl, quick! Use Fly attack!" Noctowl hadn't used it before, but Silver hoped that his prodigious experience in the area would suffice. Noctowl plummeted down and took Vaporeon unawares with a pecking, slashing, wing-beating onslaught, sending his foe running for cover. Noctowl hooted in triumph and landed on the stage as Vaporeon retreated to lick its wounds. "Nice, Noctowl! Good job," Silver said, and Noctowl spread his wings in victory.

"Vaporeon, this isn't over yet! Use another Water Gun!"

"Noctowl, try and use your aerial agility to dodge it! Close in on Vaporeon as best you can!" Silver countered the Kimono Girl's order, and Noctowl flapped, dodged and span out of the way of the stream of water issuing from Vaporeon's mouth, flying in ever closer to launch his own attack.

"Now, Vaporeon! He's in the perfect position for another Tail Whip!" the Kimono Girl cried, believing she'd spotted a weakness in Silver's strategy. However, this was exactly what Silver had hoped would happen.

"Noctowl, let's try that new move we've been working on!" he said. Noctowl stayed silent, but his crest started to glow blue. Suddenly Vaporeon's rise was arrested, and the Water Pokemon hung in mid-air, surrounded by a psychic aura.

"Vaporeon, try to wriggle free!" the Kimono Girl said in a last-ditch effort, but Noctowl had already used the Confusion attack he had learned from watching Hypno to slam his opponent roughly onto the hard wooden stage. Noctowl had caught Vaporeon at just the right angle, and the Pokemon landed on its head, knocking it out straight away.

"That's just as good as anything Hypno can do, Noctowl! Well done on the great angle you got on Vaporeon, by the way," Silver added, and Noctowl hooted before turning his head fully 180 degrees in triumph.

"That is a powerful Noctowl you have there, Silver. I never expected it to use Confusion attack. You caught me unawares. I shall respectfully leave you now to face another of my sisters," the Kimono Girl said quietly, and left leaving Silver feeling more guilty than ever.

"Good battle, Noctowl," Silver said, disgruntled, and returned the Flying Pokemon as the fourth Kimono Girl entered the battle-field.

"You have done well to come so far. However, it is my duty to halt you, and I shall do my very best," she said, and hurled another Pokeball into the field. A beautiful purple Eevee evolution appeared, almost feline in its grace and poise. It was Espeon, the Psychic Pokemon.

"She could've just said, 'Espeon, go!'," Silver muttered to himself, before releasing his own Pokemon. It was none other than the serene Hypno, his own resident Psychic.

"Ah! This, then, will be a true test of skill. Psychic against Psychic. Espeon, use your Confusion attack!" Espeon's eyes glowed and the fronds on its head quivered as it amassed Psychic power.

"Hypno, use Hypnosis!" Silver said. Hypno walked slowly towards Espeon, ignoring his imminent attack, and his pendulum swung faster and faster. Espeon's glowing eyes were fixed on it, and zoomed from side to side as it watched its progress. Hypno, however, was barely concentrating on its powerful move, and merely nodded amiably at Silver as if in a delayed greeting.

"Espeon, break free with your Psychic attack!" the Kimono Girl ordered. Espeon's eyes glowed even brighter and the air seemed to quiver with tension as Espeon struggled to bring together the power necessary, but the pendulum sped up, as if it was drawing the Psychic energy into itself. Eventually Espeon's eyes stopped glowing, and they looked oddly dull as they continued to follow the pendulum's progress before their owner keeled over, asleep.

"Hypno, use Pound attack to wake up Espeon!" Hypno raised his arm in a most relaxed fashion before bringing it down with ringing force; Silver found it incredible that such a laid-back creature could strike so hard. The Kimono Girl seemed to agree as she appeared lost for words, her mouth moving silently as she struggled to think of a way to save her sleeping Espeon. "Hmm... Looks like a Confusion attack will be necessary," Silver said, looking at Espeon critically, and Hypno nodded shortly, showing him a thumbs-up reminiscent of his time as Drowzee, as his eyes lit up with energy. Espeon was lifted up into the air and hurled away; its limp form skidded to a halt and still it was asleep. This time, however, it seemed to be unconscious; just to confirm his thoughts, the Kimono Girl recalled it and looked more downcast than any of her sisters.

"That was shameful," she admitted bitterly. "My Espeon was no match for your Hypno. I will leave you to take on my final sister," she stumped off the stage in abject disappointment and it was with immense difficulty that Silver stopped himself making her promise not to slit her wrists after such a defeat.

"Phew... well, Hypno, you were as good as always," was all Silver said to his Psychic Pokemon, who nodded at him again before being recalled. The final Kimono Girl rose serenely to challenge him, a sincere smile in her face.

"You have reduced some of my sisters to tears with your fearsome battling technique. We shall see whether I am your equal or better. Umbreon, take the stage!" she barked, and the slim, black-skinned Umbreon took up a fighting stance.

"I didn't mean to make your sisters cry," Silver muttered, releasing Eevee; he thought it was poetic justice that his final battle would be with the pre-evolved form of his foes. Crystal would have appreciated it, anyway.

"I know you did not mean to, Silver. But I have the reputation of the Kimono Girls to uphold," the Kimono Girl said apologetically, reminding Silver uncannily of Falkner. "Umbreon, Bite attack!" Umbreon raced towards Eevee, its red eyes unblinking and stern.

"Eevee, use _your_ Bite attack!" Silver ordered, which he hoped was something the Kimono Girl wouldn't expect. Sure enough, she looked wrong-footed for a second before composing herself. Eevee's teeth managed to fix on one of Umbreon's front legs like a sharp vice, but Umbreon had reacted that bit too swiftly and caught Eevee's waving tail in a snap of its jaws. The two of them wrestled silently and unmovingly with each other, increasing their bite's power in a test of endurance in which only one of them could triumph. Neither moved for a few long seconds, but suddenly the Kimono Girl shouted,

"Umbreon, Faint Attack!" Umbreon vanished completely and Eevee's teeth snapped shut on empty air. As Eevee was shocked into immobility for a split-second, Umbreon reappeared behind him, and slammed into him. Eevee hurtled across the stage as the well-placed attack hit him, but jumped up again angrily.

"Calm down, Eevee..." Silver said warningly, but Eevee wasn't listening. Eevee hated looking like a fool, and had been made to do just that by Umbreon's Faint Attack. Silver knew that the battle had passed beyond his control; Eevee was notorious for taking command of himself in a battle, especially when he was angry, so Silver merely hung back to cheer him on. Eevee launched himself in a Quick Attack against Umbreon, which was rash and hot-headed; fortunately, coupled with the fact that Silver hadn't given any order, this took Umbreon unawares and allowed Eevee to slam into him. The Kimono Girl tutted.

"Control your Pokemon," she reprimanded Silver.

"I couldn't if I wanted to. But Eevee knows I'm behind him all the way no matter what he does," Silver replied, and Eevee responded with a triumphant squeak.

"Hmm. A tactic I have never heard of before; not speaking orders in battle can obviously give you a split-second advantage, because I can't know what to counter. But you must have complete sync with your Pokemon and know what moves they will use even without giving the commands. Let us see whether you and Eevee share this bond. Umbreon, use Take Down!" Umbreon zig-zagged towards Eevee quickly, and Silver noticed how phenomenally light on its feet it was before it crashed into Eevee. Both Pokemon recoiled, but Eevee had without doubt suffered the brunt of the damage. Eevee, however, was unwilling to give in and jumped directly over Umbreon, another unexpected move but one which Silver hoped would have the conclusion he predicted... As Eevee landed, his teeth fastened shut on Umbreon's thin tail, and Silver let out a held-in breath. At least he was enough in sync with Eevee to see that coming. "Umbreon, Tail Whip!" Umbreon's tail flashed back and forth as the Pokemon itself stood stock still, dignified and dangerous. Eevee was a blur as Umbreon tried to shake him off, but he didn't let go; a testament to his tenacity. Umbreon was now visibly distressed by the pressure exerted on its tail, and turned round to deal with Eevee itself. "Umbreon, no! We cannot fight like them!" the Kimono Girl warned, but this did more harm than good. Umbreon stopped mid-pose, its face inches from Eevee as it halted its Bite attack, and Eevee took advantage of this to let go of its tail and deliver it a headbutt. Umbreon staggered backwards, stunned by the powerful blow, and was thrown off his feet as Eevee used another Quick Attack against him. "Umbreon, Faint Attack him again! We can still win this if we keep a cool head!" Umbreon vanished again, but this time Eevee was ready. A second later, when he knew Umbreon was about to reappear and hammer him, he leapt into the air as high as he could. Umbreon became visible again as it sailed underneath Eevee; it stopped its charge and looked around, confused. This was when Eevee landed on top of him, biting, whipping with his tail and scratching with his claws. "Throw him off!" the Kimono Girl shrieked, and Umbreon gave a great shiver. Eevee had been expecting this as well, though, because he rolled with being thrown away to land perfectly, hurtling into yet another Quick Attack. This time, Umbreon did not rise. The battle was over. The Kimono Girl recalled her Umbreon and forced a smile. "Please forgive me for losing my temper there. It appears that you do have an uncommonly close bond with your Pokemon, and I must congratulate you. Here is your prize; a free ticket to any one of our dances, whenever you wish to visit. I hope we meet again in future," Silver almost collapsed under the weight of the irony from his gift, but managed a strangled farewell before leaving. He felt that he had done well; five victories in a row. But winning five in a row was not the problem; it was keeping the record going. For how much longer he could do that, he had no idea, and felt that the Mahogany Town Gym Leader, whoever they were, would be a whole new challenge again.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 25**

The Lake of Rage. It was as huge and imposing as its title would suggest. According to the poster Silver was looking at, anyway. He had arrived in Mahogany Town at last, and after booking Noctowl in for some much-needed rest at the Pokemon Centre he had decided to visit the Lake to the north. His Gym battle could wait, after all; something he wouldn't have thought possible before, but without both Crystal and Scott he felt like he was missing out slightly, and he put the battle off in the hope that Scott at least would appear some time soon. He released his Pokemon and began to short trek up to the Lake of Rage, hoping to catch a glimpse of the red Gyarados that would rumoured to be lurking there. The leaflet he had picked up in the last guard post had not made any mention of it, but it did tell him that the Lake was created by a horde of rampaging Gyarados many years ago, and the creatures continued to live there to this day. Alongside their puny relatives the Magikarp, of course. Silver opened the door of the next guard post and let his Pokemon enter before he walked in.

"Sorry kid," he was met with an immediate brusque response. "No visitors to the Lake today. Important research is being conducted there," Silver looked behind the desk to see a guard dressed similarly to before, but he was holding a Pokeball as if he expected Silver to commit a crime.

"What sort of research?" Silver asked interestedly, moving closer to the guard. He had a feeling he had seen him before... but where? No, that was ludicrous. He knew for certain that he had never been to Mahogany Town before in his life.

"Dangerous research. I'm here to stop kids like you going up there and getting yourselves hurt," the man replied, shifting uneasily beneath Silver's gaze. That was it! From that sentence, Silver had the man pegged.

"You're from Team Rocket! The Good Samaritan, who was guarding the Slowpoke Well!" he slapped his forehead in blissful enlightenment before realising what it meant. The man cursed and jumped to his feet, Pokeball ready.

"Leave now and nobody gets hurt, kid. Team Rocket's planning something big, and you wanna be far away when we get it right," the man warned with a snarl.

"I'm not going to let criminals like you conduct any research. My name's Spanner In The Works, and I'm here to wreck your little project for you. Hypno, use Hypnosis on the Good Samaritan!" Hypno tipped him a small nod before swinging his pendulum in the Rocket's face. The man dropped his Pokeball with a clink and sank back in his chair, in a stupor. As Hypno turned up the power of his Psychic waves, the Rocket fell completely asleep. "Nice job, Hypno. Right, let's tie him to his chair and put his Pokeball in this drawer..." It took him a few minutes, but he managed to securely tie the Rocket up, even thought the man was helpless and snoring. "Ready for some action, guys? Team Rocket won't let us stop them without a fight, I can be sure of that," The Pokemon gave their own cries of affirmation, and Silver and his bodyguards strode out of the guard post and continued the walk towards the Lake of Rage. Before he could even get within sighting distance of it, however, three Rockets burst out of their camouflaged hiding places along the route, surrounding Silver.

"Ha! The Boss was right. Always have a back-up plan, just in case," one of them sneered, and another one jumped and grabbed Silver, holding him tightly by the throat and nearly suffocating him.

"Return all of your Pokemon to their Pokeballs and hand them over to us, and we'll let you leave. Eventually," the third one said with a wicked grin.

"Don't listen to him! Take them down!" Silver spluttered, but his Pokemon were unwilling to jeopardise his life.

"You have three seconds to return yourselves, or Junior Trainer here gets a serious injury," the Rocket snapped to Silver's Pokemon. They were immobile for a second before Quilava took a step forwards towards his Pokeball. "That's right..." the Rocket coaxed him, but suddenly Silver felt the pressure on his neck evaporate. He knelt down, spluttering, and was immediately surrounded by his Pokemon, who were checking that he was alright.

"I'm fine, I'm fine..." he assured them, massaging his throat. "What made them leave?" He turned to see that the Rockets were still there, but they were trembling slightly in the shadow of a Dragonite, a Charizard and a Gyarados; one each. Sitting on the back of the Dragonite was a man with spiked-up hair, stern eyes and a flowing cape. Silver recognised him immediately as Lance, the former Dragon Master of the Elite Four before he left after being beaten by the current Champion.

"I can see that you're debating going for your Pokeballs," Lance said to the Rockets in a ringing voice. "But will you get there in time? Or will you get roasted by Charizard, drowned by Gyarados and otherwise pounded by Dragonite? The real question is... do you feel lucky? Well, do you?" he snapped, making eye contact with each in turn. The Rockets dropped their gaze and put their hands up like naughty children. "I shouldn't let you escape unharmed, you know. Threatening a child... I can't believe Giovanni would sanction such an act," Lance tutted as he slid off his Dragonite and produced seemingly from nowhere three sets of handcuffs.

"Giovanni is in training, and someday he'll be back and more powerful than ever. We lead ourselves for now," one of the Rockets said, hoping to sound triumphant, but Lance laughed.

"And a damn fine job you're doing too! Radio signals to boost evolution, I ask you... And you really think I couldn't have traced it to Goldenrod's Radio Tower? Giovanni would set some heads rolling if he knew just how well you were handling the Team," The Rockets looked nervously from one to the other, before the middle one broke down.

"Please don't turn us in to the cops, Dragon Master! We all have families to feed!"

"Oh, come on. Criminals, hitting me with the old 'got to put meat on the table' story? Team Rocket really has gone downhill. You're just lucky Red isn't here," The other two Rockets broke down at this, and Lance allowed them to hand themselves over to the authorities; with Charizard keeping a watchful eye over them as they walked. Lance strode over to Silver and pulled him to his feet, smiling. "Are you OK?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm just fine. Thanks for saving my bacon there, I was doomed..." he admitted sheepishly, but Lance waved it away.

"Nobody with such fine Pokemon is ever doomed," he indicated Silver's team, who responded happily to the compliment. "Anyway, you were vital to my plans. Without you, I would never have spotted those three camouflaged Rockets. I should be the one thanking you," He shook Silver's hand and winked at him before heading back to Dragonite. "Well, another day at the office. I've an urgent appointment in Goldenrod City right now, so perhaps I'll see you some other time,"

"Wait!" Silver called. "There's a Rocket guard in the guard post that I put to sleep. That Hypno put to sleep, to be more accurate. Anyway, just thought you should know..." he finished weakly after avoiding the Dragon Master's piercing gaze.

"Then you really have proved yourself to be useful. Well done, I'll just go and take a look... ah, here's Charizard. I'll be back in a moment," He entered the guard post that Silver had just left and exited with the Good Samaritan draped over his shoulders. "Will you do the honours, Charizard?" Lance asked, and Charizard carried the man away in his claws, doubtless taking him to the authorities. Lance recalled his Gyarados and seated himself back on Dragonite's back. He seemed to be deliberating something. "Silver, would you like to come with me to Goldenrod? I shouldn't really ask, but you seem to be a good Trainer judging by the condition of your Pokemon and the six badges on your chest. A second agent is a real bonus in this situation, especially what we're up against,"

"Sure! I'll be happy to help. Is it more battling against Team Rocket?"

"Yes, but the big cheeses rather than the fools you've likely already battled. They won't hold back and they won't hesitate in sinking lower than low. You can ride on Charizard's back," he said as the Fire Pokemon reappeared.

"Don't worry, I can fly on Noctowl. I have a harness," he said, before blushing as he realised how ridiculous he must have sounded. Lance, however, did not laugh at him.

"As strong as your Noctowl looks, I think Charizard can get you there faster," he said diplomatically.

"Happy to sit this one out, Noctowl?" Silver asked, and Noctowl responded with a wise nod. "All systems go, then!" He recalled his Pokemon and climbed on Charizard's back, using his thick, flaming tail as a ramp. He fitted himself in behind the wing joints and gripped on tightly as Charizard rose up in the air.

"We'll be there in no time. Hang on, and prepare yourself for a tough battle," Lance advised as they flew, but suddenly his words were lost to the wind as Dragonite and Charizard hurtled faster and faster, flying higher and higher. Silver was almost dislodged several times by the slipstream, but somehow he managed to hang on; he could hear Togepi squeaking with excitement from his position on his back, and the rattling of his Pokeballs prompted him to check that they were securely attached several times. He could see the earth speeding past underneath him, and focused on Charizard's back queasily. The Pokemon was obviously very powerful and muscly, and judging by the white-hot flame on its tail it was also healthy and happy. Lance was obviously a powerful Trainer, and Silver was glad that he wasn't coming after him on his Dragonite. Within minutes, when it would have taken Noctowl a few hours at best, Silver spotted Goldenrod City below; a sprawling metropolis full of people who had no idea of the shadow of Team Rocket hanging over them. Charizard shifted course slightly so they were heading towards the Radio Tower, pointing to the sky like a skeletal onyx finger. As they slowed, circling above the Tower, Lance called out to him again. "Dragonite tells me there are guards down there. We need to take them out quickly or else they'll raise the alarm. We've got two each, apparently; would you like to command Charizard, or will one of your Pokemon be sufficient?"

"Can I use Charizard on one and Noctowl on the other? Then I can take both down at once," Silver suggested, and Lance nodded.

"Good plan. Charizard, do everything Silver tells you. Ready?" Silver nodded once, and Charizard and Dragonite fell into a steep plummet as they hurtled towards the four Rockets outside the door of the Radio Tower.

"Noctowl, come on out! Use Fly attack to knock out one of the guards," Silver hurled Noctowl's Pokeball, and the Owl Pokemon kept pace with Charizard as it dived, building up speed and power for its attack. "Charizard, we'd better use a physical attack. We want to knock them out, not cremate them. How about Slam?" Charizard responded with an affirmative snort. The Team Rocket grunt sighed as he gazed up at the sky. Guard duty was so boring... but it had to be done. For the glory of Team Rocket, and all that. He just wished that he and Wooper could have some time off to train and have some fun... He squinted slightly. Were those shapes moving in the sky? Probably a flock of Pidgey, he convinced himself, and sighed again. Boring... He turned to the Rocket beside him, who was playing cards with the other two. He was just about to remark on how bad his hand of cards looked when something struck him heavily from behind. He crumpled down as everything went black. "Nice work, Noctowl! Charizard, quickly!" Silver said excitedly; Noctowl had gotten first blood and knocked out the first guard, and before the others could even throw down their cards Charizard's meaty tail had taken out another one.

"Dragonite, Thunderbolt!" Lance ordered, and a bolt of lightning zapped the other two, causing them to fall backwards into unconsciousness as well. "Good work, Dragonite. A low-level Thunderbolt from you is enough to knock out any man," Lance patted Dragonite before returning him and turning to face Silver. "You did well there, Silver, but we need to be quick. The Chairman of the Radio Tower will either be at the top of the Tower or in the labyrinth below it. I'll take the underground, and you can take the high road, if that's OK with you," he said quickly, outlining his plans.

"Yes, that's fine. Noctowl, return, and well done again," Silver replied, calling back Noctowl just as Lance recalled his Charizard. The two of them entered the Radio Tower's lobby and found it ominously deserted; they walked over to the staircase and shook hands.

"Good luck, Silver. If things go badly, I want you to know that you were a great help. You have real potential as a Trainer," Lance said, and with a swish of his cape he had descended into the lower levels. Silver gulped at Lance's words. Just how likely was it for things to go that badly wrong? He steeled himself and gazed at the stairway in front of him, stifling a groan. He hated staircases, especially long ones like this was sure to be. Ah well... He took a deep breath and ascended slowly, his footsteps sounding uncommonly loud in the dead silence. Team Rocket had to be stopped, and it was his job to help Lance and bring about just that. But this failed to make him feel less nervous as he walked upwards into what was sure to be a room packed with Team Rocket soldiers, all with vicious Pokemon.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 26**

Silver opened the door in front of him with a trembling hand and walked into the room before he could convince himself to run away. The room itself defied all of his expectations; he had expected a huge floor full of Rockets. But it was small and cramped, with all the paraphernalia of a recording studio. But on the chair in which DJ Mary usually sat was a female Team Rocket member with glowing blond hair and a bored expression, rolling a Pokeball across the table in front of her. DJ Mary and a Meowth were tied up in the corner, their heads bowed and faces glum, leeched of all hope by the unexpected Team Rocket attack. The female Rocket's head snapped up as she heard the door open, and she leapt to her feet straight away, kicking the padded chair aside; it rolled away ad hit the wall with a crash.

"Intruder, eh? Well, I'll show you what Team Rocket does to intruders. Go, Weezing! Use your Sludge attack on the boy!" The two-headed gas cloud Pokemon appeared with a choked cry, and it spat two globs of vile black sludge at Silver, who only narrowly ducked them before hurling his own Pokeball into the fray.

"Noctowl, I choose you!" Noctowl appeared in front of him, his wings spread out in readiness to fight. The Team Rocket member sneered.

"Your birdy won't save you now, boy. This is the big time. Forget all the Bug Catchers and Pidgeys you've ever fought, 'cause we're in a totally different league,"

"Pidgey was more of a challenge that the last few Rockets I beat," Silver retorted, but his insult merely bounced off her. She threw back her head, scattering her blond hair so it caught the light, and laughed.

"The grunts are useful and very plentiful, but they lack skill in the battling department. Us staged at the Radio Tower, an all-important location? Yeah, we're a whole lot tougher. Weezing, use Poison Gas on Noctowl!" Disgusting green fog seeped from Weezing's mouths and floated slowly towards Noctowl, but Silver was ready.

"Noctowl, blow it right back at them with your wings!" Noctowl flapped his wings faster and faster until a small gale sprung up, scattering the papers on the desk and blowing the Poison Gas back at the Rocket and her Pokemon. "Now, use Confusion!" Noctowl's crest glowed blue as it pummelled Weezing with Psychic power, but when the attack died down Weezing was miraculously still standing (or rather, floating).

"See? Weezing may be weak against Psychic attacks, but he still survived that, with power to spare. Weezing, Sludge Bomb! Let's go!" Another rippling blob of sludge burst from Weezing's mouth and splattered against Noctowl, throwing him backwards, gumming up his feathers and forcing him to inhale a sickly gas.

"Noctowl, are you OK?" Silver asked, concerned; Noctowl shook away the last of the gas and stood resolutely for battle again, ignoring its stained feathers. "Ha! Noctowl's more resilient than you thought, too," Silver shot at the Rocket.

"Let's see it survive this. Another Sludge Bomb, at full power!" A bigger Sludge Bomb hurtled towards Noctowl balefully, but Silver shouted,

"Try a Fly attack!" Noctowl rose up into the air despite his stuck-together wing feathers, dodging the Sludge Bomb before lancing back down to slam into Weezing. Weezing in turn crashed into the Rocket, who was knocked off her feet.

"Weezing, return!" the Rocket snarled, and jumped to her feet before running towards the staircase, screaming, "Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

"Noctowl, stop her with a Confusion!" Silver said urgently; the last thing he needed was the alarm to be raised. Noctowl used his Psychic powers to stop the Rocket firmly in mid-run, as if she had been turned to stone. "Can you keep it up for a couple of minutes?" he asked, and Noctowl spared him a nod. He walked over to DJ Mary and Meowth and released Eevee to bite through their bonds. Mary jumped to her feet and hugged Silver, a display of affection he had never expected from such a well-known personality.

"Oh, you saved me! And Meowth as well! How can I ever thank you? How about an interview, later on?" she eagerly said after releasing him.

"Er... I'll get back to you on that. In the meantime, stay low-profile; I'm heading upstairs to save the Chairman," he did his best to sound heroic, and wondered whether he had pulled it off as Mary walked over to the immobilised Rocket.

"You nasty piece of work! Come here..." she picked up her own former bonds and tied the Rocket up with them, stuffing Meowth's pink bow in her mouth as a makeshift gag and shoving her into the corner. "Are you sure that you don't want me to come with you?" she turned to Silver, and looked so fierce that Silver found it difficult to turn her down.

"No, you should stay here. If you can disrupt the radio signals in any way, that would be a great help," he said, before heading over to the stairs before she could argue anymore. "Noctowl, return. As soon as we get out of this mess, I'll take you to the Pokemon Centre so we can clean you up," he promised, and Noctowl replied with a feeble hoot. As he walked up the stairs, someone immediately rounded the turn ahead of him and they crashed into each other; Silver, however, was hit so hard that he rolled back down the stairs before landing painfully at the bottom. He looked up blearily and his mouth hung open. None other than an equally shocked-looking Gold has slammed into him! What on earth was he doing here? Gold seemed to be wondering the same thing as him, quickly rearranging his face from shocked to his customary glare.

"You!" he said with a snarl. "What are you doing here?" Silver rose to his feet, rubbing his elbow from where he had landed on it.

"I'm here to stop Team Rocket. Why are you here?" he retorted, determined not to look weak in front of him.

"For the same reason. Team Rocket... ha! They act all big and tough in a group, but get them alone and they're weak. Just as weak as you. If not more so. I'm searching for a proper opponent,"

"Well, I don't have time right now. I'm here to save the Chairman," Silver said, hoping to sound important and superior, but Gold sneered.

"You? I wasn't talking about you, weakling. A real opponent. I've got a team that can crush you with ease. I won't bother with you today. I'll catch up with you later. Now get out of my way," he shoved Silver out of the way and stalked down the other set of steps, ignoring DJ Mary's admonishment for his rudeness.

"Well! What an abrasive person that boy is," she huffed, and Silver replied,

"You just don't know how right you are. Now, remember: stay hidden!" he ran back up the stairs, wondering whether he was going to run into anybody this time; fortunately, however, he reached the next level without incident. He gasped at what he saw. There were four Team Rocket members with one Pokemon each in the room. All of them were unconscious and splayed out randomly, some of them with some quite nasty injuries. Silver hurried over to them and crouched beside them as his stomach squirmed; Gold hadn't improved his disposition or vicious fighting style, apparently. But how had he infiltrated the Radio Tower? Kadabra's Teleport was the obvious way. Did that mean that Gold had teleported to the top of the tower and already done his job for him? He scouted around and found some wires to tie up the Rockets and through trial and error returned their Pokemon to their respective Pokeballs. He hoped that Gold hadn't injured them too badly, but he felt a reasonably strong pulse in each of them so was satisfied to continue. The next floor up was the same; devastated Team Rocket members, two this time, and Radio Tower workers that had been left tied up. Silver swiftly ran to untie them, and used their bonds to secure the Rockets; he was immediately swamped with thanks from the people he had saved.

"It's like a miracle you're here, that last boy came literally out of nowhere with his Kadabra, slaughtered the Rockets and ignored us..."

"How can we ever thank you?"

"Do you know where the Chairman is?" Silver overrode them, pacifying their enthused thank-yous.

"Up another level, in his office. He's guarded by a Rocket Executive, one of the real tough ones, so good luck. Is there anything we can do to help?" a scientific-looking man asked eagerly.

"Yes, stay here and guard the Rockets. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Actually, there is something else... could you look after my Noctowl? He got hit by a Sludge Bomb, and isn't in very good shape,"

"Sure, we'd be glad to clean him up," a frail-looking young woman said, and Silver released Noctowl, who crowed in disapproval.

"Come on, Noctowl. You know it's for the best; I don't want you battling in this state. Now do everything these people say, OK, and I'll be back for you in a few minutes," Noctowl hooted in grim acceptance and turned his head around on his neck so he wasn't looking at Silver. Deep down, he knew that Silver had his best interests at heart, but he wanted to be there with his master when the final battle came. "Bye, Noctowl. Thanks for healing him up, guys," Silver added to the workers, who responded with more thanks. Silver took a deep breath as he walked slowly up the last flight of steps. He too would have preferred Noctowl to come with him, as he knew how powerful the Owl Pokemon was in a pinch, but his sense of his Pokemon's wellbeing overrode this. Noctowl's health came first. He would have to make do without his old friend this time. He stopped outside the door and took another deep breath. It bore a plaque that read, 'Chairman's Office'. This was it, the unquestionable finale. He had been right about Gold at least; it seemed he had teleported in to attack the Rockets, but possibly misjudged it slightly, appearing in the penultimate floor rather than the top one. Lucky him. Silver grabbed the doorknob and turned it, forcing his way in and standing tall. A lot rested on this battle; from Lance's words, he had gleaned that Team Rocket was forcing Pokemon to evolve. This was a lot bigger than stealing Slowpokes to sell their tails. It could affect Pokemon everywhere. He took in the scene as he unclipped a Pokeball from his belt, ready for battle; the Chairman was sitting haggard behind his desk, and although he wasn't tied up he was guarded by a formidable Rocket. He was dressed not in the usual Team Rocket garb but a sharp suit that showed off just how much money he must have. The man blinked at him once, but didn't show any sign of being either surprised or frightened.

"Good afternoon, my friend. Would you like some refreshments before our inevitable battle, or shall we begin straight away?" he asked. Silver was shaken by the man's unexpected politeness, but he set his jaw determinedly and replied,

"Shall we just get this over with?" The Executive sighed.

"Some people have no etiquette," he tutted to the Chairman, who glared at him in silence. "Very well," he lost his calm demeanour and took up a fighting stance. "Let us, as you say, get this over with. Houndoom, go!" The black dog-like Pokemon appeared, emitting an eerie howl that made the hairs on Silver's neck stand up. Houndoom, Houndoom... that was a Dark and Fire dual type.

"Poliwhirl, go! Give it your best shot!" Poliwhirl set himself in stance similar to Silver's, his brow furrowed angrily as he challenged his opponent.

"Houndoom, use your Crunch attack, quickly!" Houndoom barked in response and padded towards Poliwhirl dangerously, his jaws open wide and sharp teeth gleaming.

"Poliwhirl, Water Gun! Head on!" Silver cried, and Poliwhirl sprayed a jet of water at Houndoom from the centre of his stomach swirl. Houndoom dropped to its belly and rolled out of the way, straightening up and jumping at Poliwhirl. His sharp teeth fastened around Poliwhirl's arm, and Poliwhirl groaned in pain as Houndoom savaged him and tried to drag him to the ground.

"Houndoom, Flamethrower!" the Executive ordered, and a billowing rush of flames flowed between Houndoom's teeth, burning Poliwhirl's arm badly and searing the rest of him with painful sheets of fire.

"Poliwhirl, no! Try to block his mouth with your hand!" Poliwhirl gradually worked his gloved hand around inside Houndoom's vicious jaws, blocking off the fire as it obstructed his throat.

"Houndoom, rip his arm off if necessary! Bite!" the Executive shouted, and the pressure on Poliwhirl's arm increased. It was a sheer test of brutal endurance; would Houndoom retreat first due to lack of breath or would Poliwhirl surrender to the pain?

"Poliwhirl, Bubblebeam attack!" It tore Silver up to see Poliwhirl get so badly damaged, but Houndoom was in just the right position. Poliwhirl's fist jammed into Houndoom's jaws glowed with power as a stream of powerful bubbles gushed down the enemy's throat. Houndoom's eyes shot wide open and it jumped backwards with a yelp, releasing Poliwhirl. "Good work, Poliwhirl! Hit him with a Body Slam!"

"Houndoom, Flamethrower again!" the Executive countered. As Poliwhirl leapt up into the air and sailed down towards Houndoom, fire burst out of his mouth again, spraying Poliwhirl's stomach with a jet of roiling flames.

"Poliwhirl, fight through it!" Silver encouraged, and Poliwhirl continued to drop towards Houndoom, ignoring the flames that threatened to dry up his skin.

"Houndoom, Take Down! Fast!" the Executive said sharply, and Houndoom stopped the flames and jumped upwards to slam into Poliwhirl head-on. The impact could be felt by Silver even from his removed position, and it had had a devastating effect on the battle; Poliwhirl had been knocked out by the attack, but as Houndoom was overcome with recoil he couldn't avoid the Water Pokemon's falling form, which slammed into him hard. Both Pokemon had fainted, and their owners recalled them simultaneously.

"Poliwhirl you were great. That was a tough battle, but you beat him," Silver encouraged the Pokeball, more hopeful than he actually was. Houndoom had only narrowly lost, and even then had taken Poliwhirl down with him, who had had the type advantage. What would the rest of the battle be like?

"Houndoom was just the beginning. Go, Pupitar!" A rock-like cocoon Pokemon appeared on the battle-field, although Silver doubted that it would be as easy to beat as Kakuna and Metapod, the other two cocoon Pokemon.

"Haunter, go!" Haunter appeared and gazed at Pupitar for a second before laughing maniacally. "Don't let his appearance deceive you. Be ready for anything," Silver warned him, and the laughter gradually died down.

"Pupitar, Thrash!" the Executive ordered, and Pupitar started to go into convulsions as it hurtled towards Haunter. It flailed wilder and wilder as it sped up, its eyes wide but unseeing in its frenzy.

"Haunter, look out!" Silver warned urgently, but Haunter ignored him; a second later Pupitar impacted. But did he? He was thrashing from inside Haunter, who looked just as mischievous as ever, not taking the slightest notice of his foe. Then Silver realised... Thrash was a Normal type attack, to which Haunter was immune. "Haunter, quick! Hit him with Night Shade!" Silver cried; they were unlikely to ever get such a good opportunity again. Haunter flew upwards, out of Pupitar's range, and zapped him with bolts of dark energy. Silver heard the Executive snarl with annoyance, but Pupitar seemed unhurt by the blow. "OK, Haunter, try a Shadow Ball!" Haunter collected the black energy in his disembodied hands, picked his spot, and launched the Shadow Ball at the defenceless Pupitar, who was still thrashing a metre or so below him. Pupitar was hurled back towards the desk, and as it smashed into the wood the desk itself split into a thousand splinters. The Chairman ducked away with a cry as Pupitar rolled around in the desk's remains, hurting only itself in its madness.

"Pupitar, Rock Throw! Now!" the Executive said in a warning tone. Pupitar, at the sound of its master's voice, seemed to snap back to normality. Using its own body as a battering ram, it launched not rocks but various objects from the room at Haunter, knocking him backwards with a hiss. When he had backed Haunter into a corner, the Executive cried, "Rock Slide, quickly!" Pupitar launched itself straight at Haunter again, but this time it meant to go through him; passing through the Ghost Pokemon, it slammed into the wall behind, which caved in with a crash. Coughing as dust spread in a cloud across the room, Silver peered at the wreckage. Haunter rose straight through it, although he had obviously been hurt by the attack, and Pupitar shrugged off the rubble as if it wasn't there. "Now that it's nice and dusty, use Sandstorm!"

"Haunter, Hypnosis!" Silver cried. Pupitar started spinning faster and faster, drawing up a small tornado of dust and rubble that swirled around him as he moved slowly towards Haunter. Unfortunately, this blocked out Haunter's view, so he couldn't use his Hypnosis. "Haunter, look out. Sandstorm's a Ground attack, which you're weak against," Silver warned, and Haunter edged around the room, always one step ahead of Pupitar but unable to do anything to stop the attack. What was more, Haunter was gradually being hemmed into a corner by his opponent, where he wouldn't be able to dodge. "Haunter, throw a Shadow Ball in amongst the Sandstorm, and we'll see what happens!" Silver cried; it was a desperate plan, but he hoped that the Shadow Ball would be drawn to the heart of the storm and strike Pupitar head-on. Haunter hurled another Shadow Ball, and it was visibly caught in the whirlwind, but it failed to strike Pupitar. "Keep throwing them! They'll hit eventually!" Haunter threw more and more Shadow Balls, drawing them up faster and faster as it sought to defeat its foe. However, the addition of Shadow Ball to the mix only seemed to make the Sandstorm all the more deadly, with ethereal globes rotating within it as well as rubble.

"Keep it up, Pupitar! They can't get out of this one," the Executive said, and Pupitar made a fatal move; dodging across the room, it succeeded in cutting off Haunter's escape. This was it.

"Haunter, use Night Shade against one of the Shadow Balls!" This was his last-ditch plan that had almost zero chance of working, but if anybody could pull it off it was Haunter. Beams sprang from Haunter's eyes and struck a nearby Shadow Ball that was swirling in the storm; fortunately, Haunter had picked up on Silver's plan, and timed it perfectly. The rays struck the Shadow Ball and propelled it through the swirling debris, smashing it into the hazy Pupitar within. The storm stopped as abruptly as it had arrived, with the dust and rubble falling to the ground as Pupitar lay defeated in the middle of the room. The Shadow Balls fizzled out of existence as they touched the ground.

"Pupitar, one last attack! Rock Throw again!" the Executive cried, but in Silver's opinion he was wasting his breath; Pupitar was down. However, the creature stirred slightly, and gradually built itself into more convulsions. Eventually, before Silver could shout a warning, it struck a piece of rubble straight on, whacking it right at Haunter. The Ghost Pokemon sank to the floor, knocked out by the collision, and Pupitar's thrashing died down. Both had fainted again. "One last Pokemon, but he's more than a match for any of yours," the Executive spat, returning Pupitar. He obviously hadn't expected such resistance from a mere child. Silver almost sighed in utter relief. One Pokemon left? Quilava, Hypno and Eevee were more than equal to any one Pokemon. Taking new heart from this, Silver straightened up.

"You were really good out there, Haunter. Nice timing with the Night Shade; you pulled it off perfectly," he said as he recalled the Ghost, then stared triumphantly at his foe, daring him to send out his last Pokemon.

"Arbok, crush them!" the Executive cried, and the towering cobra Pokemon hissed as it writhed into the fray.

"Hypno, hit him with your Hypnosis, straight away!" Silver released Hypno, who extended his arm and swung his pendulum at Arbok without a word.

"Arbok, strike back with Glare!" the Executive snapped, and suddenly Arbok's eyes glowed red. The pendulum slowed and stopped as Hypno's joints seized up completely; Arbok's Paralysing attack had overcome the fierce power of Hypno's famous Hypnosis. How powerful exactly was this creature? "Good. Now, Wrap attack!" Arbok's coils encircled Hypno slowly as the Psychic Pokemon tried to break free, but to no avail; the thick body of his snake-like opponent threatened to crush the life out of him completely as the coils tightened around him.

"Hypno, use your Confusion! Just look at Arbok; you don't need to move!" Silver encouraged him. Hypno's eyes started to glow blue as he collected the energy necessary.

"Arbok, finish him with a Bite attack!" Arbok's jaws opened wide and he darted straight for Hypno's head, but his serpentine strike was stopped in mid-air. Arbok recoiled and hissed in pain as Hypno's Confusion not only stopped his own attack cold but assailed him with bursts of painful Psychic energy.

"Good job! Now, just loosen his coils..." Silver cried.

"Hang on tight! You're not beaten yet!" the Executive shouted, but Arbok was being forcibly pried loose by Hypno's Psychic power before being thrown unceremoniously across the room. "Up, and strike again!" Arbok heeded his master and rose above Hypno once more, hissing.

"Hypno, Pound him!" Hypno finally shrugged off the Paralysis and he struck Arbok firmly on the skull with his powerful strike; Arbok, however, ducked beneath his arm and fastened his jaws on his head at last.

"Yes! Increase the pressure!" Arbok's jaws tightened around Hypno's skull, and the Psychic Pokemon had collapsed before Silver could even shout out.

"Hypno, return. I'm really sorry, but you were good anyway. You softened up Arbok for Quilava perfectly," Silver reassured the Pokeball before re-attaching it to his belt.

"Well done, Arbok! I'm proud of you!" the Executive boomed.

"Charrrbok!" Arbok hissed with delight and loomed even higher over Quilava, whose back-flames were burning in readiness.

"Quilava, Quick Attack!" Silver ordered, and Quilava slammed into the snake Pokemon much faster than he could have ever reacted, sending him reeling backwards. However, he collected himself quickly.

"Arbok, Poison Sting!" A volley of stingers burst from Arbok's mouth and threatened to spear Quilava, but Silver was too fast.

"Remember what we did against Jolteon's Pin Missile? Same tactic," he said, trusting Quilava to know what he meant. Quilava nodded in response and darted away from the Poison Stings, zooming closer and closer as the Quick Attack trail glowed behind him.

"Arbok, Wrap! Let Quilava come close!" the Executive warned his Pokemon. Quilava ducked beneath the last barrage of Poison Stings and slammed into Arbok, but was caught by his flailing coils and enwrapped. "Use Bite to finish him off again!"

"Quilava, no! Boost your back-flames as much as you can!" Silver cried, and Arbok released Quilava with a pained hiss as his coils were seared by Quilava's flames. Quilava landed directly in front of Arbok and looked to Silver for the go-ahead, smiling slightly. "Right, Quilava! Go ahead and hit him with your Flame Wheel!" The fiery attack swirled out of Quilava's mouth and wrapped itself around Arbok in an ironic reversal of fortune. Arbok screeched in agony as the fire burst outwards, sending him flying until he landed at his master's feet, beaten. "Quilava, that was incredible! Perfect job!" Silver cried, and Quilava rubbed his head affectionately against Silver's leg. Silver turned to the Executive, who was strangely looking calm again. "Surrender your Pokeballs," he said shortly, but the Executive recalled Arbok and ignored him.

"You may have beaten me, boy, but Team Rocket is forever," he said smoothly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Silver snapped, and Quilava bristled beside him.

"It means," said the Chairman, speaking for the first time, "That you've been tricked," He pulled back his long coat to reveal six Pokeballs. "Six highly trained Pokemon. I'm higher up than he is in Team Rocket's chain of command," he gestured towards the Executive. "You have three more at most, including that weakened Quilava. I think you're the one who should be thinking about surrender," Silver was rooted to the place in shock. Surely not... surely after his hard-won victory against the evil Team Rocket, he was meant to save the Chairman and be a hero? But the Chairman wasn't the Chairman. He was an imposter. An imposter stronger than the Executive and with more Pokemon. Silver didn't stand a chance. "Come on, now," the Chairman tutted. "Even you aren't dense enough to not know when you're beaten,"

"And you are, I suppose?" a familiar voice came from nowhere, and suddenly with a great flash of light and a huge explosion, half the wall was ripped away to reveal the sky outside. Floating there was Dragonite, and on his back was Lance. "Hyper Beam is a wonderful attack, don't you agree?" he asked the Chairman, winking at Silver. The Chairman immediately took up a fighting stance.

"Dragon Master Lance! I was wondering when I would get to meet you. But even you are powerless against the masterful Team Rocket under my command," he spat angrily.

"Really? Well, tell that to your team. I'm sure they'd agree. By the way, I've been into the underground caverns and saved the Chairman. He told me all sorts of nasty stories about you guys. Enough to convince the police, anyway, who are right now crowded outside and ordered to be as harsh as possible on any possible leaders. And you've just marked yourself as the main man," Lance replied shortly. The Chairman staggered to the hole in the wall and looked down at the streets below, doubtless seeing the police roadblocks and many policemen waiting for him. He composed himself quickly.

"Once I defeat you, I can fly away on my Pokemon, and they'll never catch me!" he promised, but Lance laughed.

"Do you really think we'd come without air support? I've lent them my Charizard, which should bump up their Fearows and Pidgeots nicely," The Chairman fidgeted uncomfortably for a second. There was no way out.

"As leader of Team Rocket, I'm obliged not to come quietly," he eventually hissed, grabbing a Pokeball from his belt.

"Of course. But Team Rocket's been smashed. They've been handed over to the cops, and everyone connected with them. All we need to do now is track down Giovanni and we'll have caught them all," Lance retorted. "But if you want to take on me and my team, please feel free. Dragonite here will be most accommodating, as will Aerodactyl, Gyarados and Charizard when I call him up here to fight. I wasn't in the Elite Four for nothing, you know," he continued admonishingly.

"Neither was I made temporary leader of Team Rocket for nothing!" the Chairman replied, but there was definite uncertainty in his expression and voice now.

"You were made the leader because you were a passable Trainer and looked like the Chairman, that was all. I'll give you one chance; say here and now that you disband Team Rocket, and mean it, and I'll let you come down with your hands up. Force me to fight, and I will; the two dozen or so Rockets I've splattered already today should prove a nice warm-up," The Chairman fell backwards, shaking his head.

"It can't be... Team Rocket is forever!" he muttered.

"Not anymore. Now, I'll give you five seconds," Lance warned him.

"OK, OK! I'll do it! Just don't let that near me!" the Chairman broke down, pointing at Dragonite and covering his face. "Team Rocket is no more. We'll give ourselves up. Forgive me, Giovanni!" he cried to the heavens, and the Executive beside him spat at his feet.

"Coward. You are unworthy to lead Team Rocket anyway. I must give up, because my Pokemon have fainted, but you have six perfectly good ones. Pathetic," he snapped, before putting his hands up, scattering his Pokeballs on the floor and striding serenely out of the office. The Chairman stayed where he was, sobbing. It was over... Team Rocket had been thwarted, Pokemon everywhere were safe and the evil organisation was no more. They'd won!


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 27**

"... and so that's how it happened," Silver finished breathlessly for the third time. He was phoning Crystal through his Pokegear and filling her in on what had happened recently with Team Rocket, having already phoned his parents to inform them.

"That is so cool. But if I'd been there, you never would have been fooled by that Chairman imposter," Crystal's voice emanated from the Pokegear mechanically, and Silver vaguely heard Tyrogue leap up and punch the air in the background.

"Yeah, right. You'd have saved him from Lance if you'd been here," Silver retorted, and she laughed.

"So when are you going to challenge the Mahogany Town Gym? Remember to phone me straight after the battle, no matter who wins," she warned.

"I'll challenge the Gym Leader as soon as my Pokemon feel ready. His name is Pryce, according to Lance, and he uses some pretty fearsome Ice type Pokemon," Silver replied.

"Ice types? Ha! Tyrogue would take 'em all on himself, and beat 'em, if he was there!" Crystal cried triumphantly, and Silver rolled his eyes.

"Sure he would. But unfortunately I'm stuck with a team of six completely cool and really powerful Pokemon, so I have no chance. Anyway, how's the training going?" he asked. At this point Crystal's voice changed to a simper.

"Oh, it's really, really fun. Master Chuck is such a great teacher, me and Tyrogue have come quite far under his tutelage. I could've sworn that I heard him say that we were his best students, as well," she sighed happily.

"Well, don't get too comfortable there. You promised we'd meet up again later, didn't you?"

"Of course. When you challenge the Elite Four, call me and I'll get there as soon as I can. Hopefully the Magnet Train will be up and running by then. Just take your time in crushing the opposition, OK?" she promised, and he sighed as she reassured him. Thank goodness she was going to be there; he would need her support more than anything against the Elite Four. "Well, class is going to begin again shortly, so I'll have to love you and leave you," she said mischievously, and Silver's tongue seized up as it usually did when such topics were even hinted at.

"Well... well, OK... I'll see you soon... hopefully..." he managed to say, and shut off the Pokegear before he could make a further fool of himself. He shook his head and gazed at the mechanical device ruefully. All he needed was his mother to hear comments like that and she would be convinced that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. Since the battle at the Radio Tower, things had been moving incredibly quickly for him. Noctowl had been returned, all cleaned up, almost straight away, and Lance and Dragonite had corralled up the remainder of the Rockets and herded them into the waiting arms of the law before flying Silver back to Mahogany Town. He could remember Lance's final words vividly, as he had been dwelling on them for the past couple of nights.

"Goodbye, Silver. You were a really big help again, and again I couldn't have done it without you. I wish you all the best in the Mahogany Town Gym and the Indigo Plateau," At this point he had a faraway look in his eyes, which prompted Silver to ask him what was wrong. "I encountered another Trainer underneath the Radio Tower, but not a Team Rocket member. It was a boy with red hair... He challenged me to a battle and even threatened to attack me personally unless I complied. I could tell that he was angry and misguided, and his Pokemon worked their fingers to the bone as he yelled at them in the battle. But I decimated him, Silver. I don't know why I feel so guilty, but... the look in his eyes as Dragonite took down his Croconaw in one hit was scary. I told him that he had to love and respect his Pokemon to succeed as a Trainer, and he just ran away, with actual tears of fury and frustration in his eyes. I don't know who he was, but I hope that he's realised the error of his ways. Anyway, I've dawdled too long already. Goodbye once again, Silver, and thank you," He and Dragonite had flown off after exchanging goodbyes, leaving Silver stunned. By the sound of it, Gold had succeeded all too well in his quest for a powerful opponent. He wondered whether Lance's crushing victory had set Gold on the right path or unhinged him completely. Either way Gold would be an even deadlier opponent next time they met. If there was a next time, of course. But as much as Silver thought about Gold and his future, he couldn't deny that he was excited and pumped about the Gym battle ahead. It would be Quilava's time to shine, as Fire Pokemon were powerful against Ice types; Hypno, Haunter, Eevee and Poliwhirl were also good prospects, not being weak against Ice. Noctowl was vulnerable, but Silver felt that he had had enough excitement for now anyway after defeating a particularly vicious Team Rocket member at the Radio Tower and suffering a direct hit from a Sludge Bomb. Nevertheless, Noctowl would be there as always, ready and willing to fight should his master command. It took Silver and his Pokemon a couple of days of rest and training to recover from the Radio Tower affair, but afterwards they seemed more determined and powerful than ever before. Silver was met with a pleasant surprise outside the Gym; Scott! The man was still wearing his sunglasses and lab coat, and he greeted Silver with a handshake as always.

"Morning, champ in the making. Sorry I couldn't be at Cianwood in time for your match against Chuck; I didn't know when you'd be there or anything, as I saw you going back and forth between there and Olivine City. I bet your victory was hard-fought and well-earned, though," Silver took the time to give Scott a full account of the Gym battle before steering conversation back to Mahogany Town.

"So, Pryce the Ice man is my next opponent. Any tips on his fighting styles or anything?" he asked.

"Pryce is ultra-cold in his training programme, if you'll excuse the pun. He thinks people and Pokemon can only be their best after decades of vigorous training together; apparently, he sits under an icy waterfall every morning to this day to meditate,"

"Weird. Do you know the rules of his Gym?"

"Three each, I think. But Quilava will have to watch out; he has a Seel and a Dewgong, which can use Water attacks. Piloswine, being half Ground type, is no pushover either," Scott warned. Silver thanked him for his advice and entered the Gym, slightly disgruntled. He had hoped that Scott would say that he had a good chance of winning, but apparently he didn't at all. The Gym itself was cold, as was to be expected; so cold, in fact, that Silver could see his breath billow out in front of him. The battle-field was a flat panel of ice, but was otherwise identical to the others. Pryce himself could be seen standing close by, leaning on a cane and glaring down at Silver balefully.

"Have you come to challenge me for a Glacierbadge?" he asked quietly.

"Yes. My name's Silver," Silver replied. Pryce smiled, although his eyes stayed hard and cold.

"Your name is irrelevant. Come over here and battle, unless you'd rather exchange niceties first," he sneered, hobbling over to take his place on the battle-field.

"Three each?" Silver asked through gritted teeth as he dropped off Togepi on the sidelines before standing opposite his opponent. Pryce nodded wisely, before casting aside his cane and hurling a Pokeball onto the field.

"Seel, get ready!" The sea-lion Pokemon clapped its fins together as it landed on the ice.

"Poliwhirl, I choose you!" Silver responded, and Poliwhirl landed on the icy field with determination glowing from his frog-like eyes. However, after a second of being upright, his feet slipped out from underneath him and he crashed to the floor. "This brings back memories, right, Poliwhirl?" Silver sighed, pulling Poliwhirl to his feet.

"Poliwhirl," Poliwhirl groaned.

"Try to keep as steady as you can. Don't move unless you really have to," Silver advised him, and he set his legs wide and braced himself for battle.

"Seel, Aurora Beam!" Pryce cried; he obviously wasn't going to waste time building up to the powerful attacks, Silver thought. A blue beam erupted from Seel's horn and hurtled towards Poliwhirl, hoping to freeze him where he stood.

"Poliwhirl deflect it with a Bubblebeam!" Glowing bubbles shot out of Poliwhirl's extended fists, crashing into the Aurora Beam and stopping it in its tracks. The Gym resumed its normal brightness as it fizzled out.

"Seel, Headbutt! He won't move, so we'll move him ourselves," Seel lowered his thick, horned head and charged towards Poliwhirl, using the slipperiness of the ice to build up the maximum velocity it could to hit with the hardest impact possible.

"Poliwhirl, jump over him and land on top with a Body Slam!" Silver cried, and Poliwhirl jumped as best he could under the circumstances as Seel drew closer. It wasn't a perfect jump, as his feet had slipped again during the leap, so Seel managed to catch him with his horn on the way over. The two Pokemon squared off again, Poliwhirl having suffered a minor scratch but not too badly hurt and Seel still perfectly healthy. "Don't worry, Poliwhirl. No harm done. Well, not much anyway. Ready to go?" Poliwhirl clenched his fist in readiness as Togepi squeaked by the sidelines. "Right, then. Hit Seel with a Water Gun, and try to make him unsteady on the ice," Poliwhirl sprayed a concentrated jet of water at Seel, attempting to unsettle him, but Pryce cried,

"Seel, Aurora Beam again!" The bright blue beam emanated from Seel's horn again, striking the Water Gun and freezing it solid. The water jet clattered to the floor, a pillar of ice.

"Well... there was nothing we could do about that, Poliwhirl. Wait for Seel's next move, then we can counter it," Silver said resignedly, looking at the frozen lump. Poliwhirl stood stock-still as he awaited Seel's attack patiently.

"Seel, Headbutt again! Let's see him counter it like he did last time," Pryce said, his unblinking eyes staring at Silver and probing for weakness. When Silver didn't flinch or look angry at the insult, Pryce smiled.

"Poliwhirl, use Doubleslap to ward off Seel's Headbutt," Silver said as Seel careened towards his Pokemon. "Strike from the side!" he added, just in time; Poliwhirl's gloved hand slammed into the side of Seel's head, avoiding the horn, and it knocked him completely off course. Taking the advantage, Poliwhirl kept up the barrage, slapping his foe over and over again. Seel's face was red and sore by the time he escaped, and he looked dejected.

"Seel, don't let that disrupt you. Hit him with an Aurora Beam again," Pryce ordered, and for the third time the beam lanced from Seel's horn.

"Poliwhirl, run towards Seel!" Silver cried, and although Poliwhirl hesitated for a split-second he did as he was commanded. Suddenly, his feet gave way underneath him yet again as he slipped over.

"Ha!" Pryce barked, but stopped as he saw the Aurora Beam head straight over Poliwhirl's sliding form.

"Poliwhirl, use the ice to power a Body Slam!" Silver grabbed at the opportunity; he knew that Poliwhirl would slip over and dodge the Aurora Beam, and his seemingly nonsensical battle plan had suddenly become all too clear to Pryce. Poliwhirl used its smooth skin to guide itself towards Seel, picking up speed the whole time, and before Seel could dodge Poliwhirl had slammed into him. Seel was hurled across the ice, hit so hard that when he came to a stop he had left the battle-field entirely.

"Seel, return. That was mere trickery, but it will not work again. Dewgong, go!" Seel's evolved form took his position on the ice as Seel himself was recalled.

"Keep it up, Poliwhirl! You did really well!" Silver encouraged, and when Poliwhirl finally managed to manoeuvre himself back to his Trainer he raised his clenched fist again happily.

"Dewgong, Icy Wind!" Pryce snapped, and a swirling gust of snowflakes spewed from Dewgong's mouth towards Poliwhirl.

"Poliwhirl, douse it with Water Gun!" Poliwhirl sprayed the mini blizzard with his Water Gun as it approached, and Silver knew that his plan had been a success; the Water Gun had dispersed the Icy Wind, although several droplets of it had been transformed into chunks of ice in the impact. Pryce seemed to struggle for a moment as he tried to think up a suitable attack.

"Dewgong, charge into a Headbutt, as fast as you can!" he finally bellowed, and Dewgong lowered his head and slid across the ice frighteningly fast.

"Poliwhirl, quick! Get ready for another Doubleslap!" Silver cried, and Poliwhirl raised his arm in readiness.

"Now, Dewgong! He's wide open for an Aurora Beam!" Pryce shouted, and the Aurora Beam burst out from Dewgong's lowered horn, catching Poliwhirl completely unawares and enveloping him; what's more, it froze him solid in a block of ice!

"Poliwhirl, no! Break out, please!" Silver pleaded, but he needn't have bothered; Dewgong was continuing with his Headbutt, and with a great shattering noise he impacted with the ice block and Poliwhirl. The ice was smashed into smithereens, and Poliwhirl took the Headbutt full in the stomach. Dewgong sinuously slipped away to assess the damage, Pryce smiling coldly once again. Poliwhirl struggled to his feet, clutching his stomach, but fell over on the ice. He tried again, but achieved the same result. He was not conscious long enough for a third try. "Poliwhirl, return! You were really good, especially considering your record with falling over. Eevee, it's your turn! Let's go!" Eevee appeared from his Pokeball, and his great sense of balance helped him land in his customary prim position. "Eevee, you'll have to use your claws to grip here, as well as your balance," Silver warned, and Eevee responded by unsheathing his tiny claws in silence. "Try a Quick Attack to see how well you can run on the ice," he suggested, and Eevee immediately charged at Dewgong; the laid-back sea-lion Pokemon was caught full-on by the ramming charge, and was sent spinning backwards across the ice before he retrieved his bearings. Just as Silver had hoped, Eevee was as mobile as ever, which was what he was banking on; Pryce would expect any challenger's Pokemon to be at a disadvantage on an icy field, so by turning that on its head he hoped he would be able to catch the Gym Leader out.

"Dewgong, Icy Wind again!" Pryce ordered, and once again the contained blizzard billowed from Dewgong's mouth; beautiful and sparkling, but deadly.

"Eevee, dodge it! Then use Bite attack on Dewgong's tail!" Silver cried; he hoped that just this once Eevee would obey him, as one mistake could be critical in a match like this. Eevee just managed to slip away from Dewgong's attack, although his fur was ruffled on the way and covered with snowflakes. He shook them off as he ran, however, and with one great leap he got a fix on Dewgong's smooth, sinuous tail. Dewgong brayed in pain as Eevee dug his sharp little teeth into the elegant fin, but Pryce kept a level head and ordered,

"Dewgong, slam your tail down onto the ice until you dislodge Eevee," Dewgong waved his tail around and hammered it onto the floor, seeking to shake Eevee loose and even hurt him in the process. Neither Pryce nor Dewgong, unfortunately, had ever heard of Eevee's tenacity, and Dewgong only managed to get him loose with a particularly wild twist of his tail that injured the sea-lion as well as the Normal Pokemon.

"Good work, Eevee. Now... oh, no," Silver slapped his forehead as Eevee used his Tackle attack before being ordered, hitting Dewgong in the side and winding him.

"Eevee's out of control, Dewgong! Now's the time to finish him off!" Pryce snarled, and Dewgong steadied himself with a look of determination. "Icy Wind!" Dewgong unleashed the Icy Wind yet again, and this time it struck true; Eevee was battered with sharp, flying chips of ice and felt his fur get sodden and frozen by the crystal barrage. When it finally died down, he looked like he had been decorated with icing; however, with a great shudder from ears to tail-tip, he shook off the icicles and charged into a Take Down. Dewgong was taken unawares again by Eevee's spirit and determination, and this time it cost him; his eyes rolled and his mouth hung open as he splayed backwards, beaten. "Dewgong, return. Piloswine, finish off this debacle," Pryce said bitterly, recalling Dewgong and releasing a fur-covered pig-like creature.

"That was good, Eevee, but you'll have to be a bit more careful this time; Piloswine's fully rested, and you've taken some damage," Silver advised Eevee, hoping that his words would not be wasted.

"Eee!" Eevee squeaked proudly and stood ready for battle once again.

"Piloswine, Earthquake!" Pryce ordered, and Piloswine jumped about a foot into the air on its stumpy legs before landing with a resounding crash. Shockwaves spread out from Piloswine's landing spot, but Silver had had experience of Earthquake before, and knew just what to do.

"Eevee, jump up as high as you can!" Eevee leapt into the air and the shockwaves passed underneath him harmlessly, but Pryce was wearing a twisted smile.

"Piloswine, hit him with a Blizzard," he said. A huge, swirling gust of ice chunks and bitterly cold wind blew from Piloswine's mouth, catching Eevee mid-leap, and Silver realised that Pryce had wanted him to jump. Eevee was battered out of the air by the attack and landed awkwardly, shivering, but he still managed to stagger to his feet for further punishment. "Hmm. I did not expect him to survive that. Piloswine, Fury Attack!" Piloswine charged towards Eevee, grunting as his specially-adapted feet allowed him to run on the ice with no difficulty whatsoever.

"Eevee, you may have been hurt by Blizzard, but you're still much faster than him. Dodge to the side!" Eevee just managed to overcome his frosted state in time to flip out of the way of a sharp tusk, but Piloswine managed to change direction quickly and continued on to hammer Eevee at least four times with brutal slashes. Eevee slid over on the ice, defeated, as Piloswine reared its head and grunted in victory. "Sorry Eevee. I must've underestimated how much that Blizzard hurt you. Quilava, it's all up to you now!" Quilava appeared on the field and ignited his back-flames. Pryce smiled again.

"So at last the Fire Pokemon makes its appearance. Piloswine, Earthquake!" Piloswine jumped up again, and Silver cried,

"Quilava, Quick Attack! Whilst he's still in the air!" Quilava darted over and leapt up, slamming into his opponent before he could land and unleash the deadly Earthquake. Piloswine was knocked off-kilter but appeared perfectly fine after a thunderous landing. Quilava seemed to be finding it difficult to keep his footing, but eventually got the hang of it and spread his legs out, steady as he awaited the next attack. "Nice one, Quilava. Now, stay where you are. Don't move until I tell you to," Silver ordered.

"Quilava may be fast, but I've already proved that split-second dodges cannot work against Piloswine. Fury Attack, again!" Piloswine rumbled into battle again, its tusks glinting as it picked up speed. Quilava stayed rooted to the spot as it approached, visibly nervous but trusting in Silver to get him out of it. All of a sudden, the time was right.

"Quilava, Flame Wheel! He's going too fast in a straight line to dodge you!" Silver ordered, and a flaming wheel soared from Quilava's mouth, striking then enveloping Piloswine as he continued his mad charge. Silver hoped that Quilava's power would override Piloswine's Ground-based resistance as much as possible and strike hard at the Ice type weakness. Piloswine, however, was charging straight into the cavernous maw of flames that awaited him, and even as he was burned and seared he continued his grunting dash. Somehow, he managed to fight his way through it, and rammed Quilava with a tusk before stopping dead, panting heavily. Quilava quickly recovered from the unexpected blow and gazed at the charred Piloswine close by. The creature was finding it hard to get up, and kept slipping over, but Pryce still seemed perfectly calm.

"Piloswine, Rest!" he ordered, and Piloswine gave up its attempts to rise and fell completely asleep. This took Quilava and Silver by surprise to say the least, but not more than what happened next; Piloswine glowed ethereally for a second before emerging as good as new. Even the blackened fur had been restored. Silver struggled to regain the advantage.

"Quilava, use Quick Attack on him!" he cried, and Quilava crashed into the sleeping swine, sending him skidding over the ice like a curling disc. Now that Piloswine was out of immediate range, to prevent surprise attacks, Silver debated on a new plan. How could they beat an opponent that could heal itself completely by just falling asleep? Attack it while it slept. But what if the attacks just woke it up, so it could go back to sleep again and heal itself? The attack would have to be super-powerful. The most powerful attack Quilava knew was Flame Wheel, and that had proved to be good but not good enough so far. Suddenly, a temporary measure hit him, and he ordered, "Quilava, use your Flame Wheel to melt some of the ice of the arena! It's just a normal floor underneath," Pryce looked taken aback at this strange order, but made no move to wake up Piloswine; he merely stood back and watched, as if interested to see what direction the battle would take. Quilava obediently directed its flames at the thin panel of ice beneath him, and steam rose up in shrill hissing clouds as it melted. Piloswine was just stirring from his nap when Quilava finished and the steam cleared. Just as Silver had hoped, there were patches of ice and patches of clear ground. Piloswine's eyes were already obscured by hair, so it wouldn't be able to properly see; thus, its charges would be ruined, as it would not be able to properly adapt to the changing terrain quickly enough. In theory, anyway. But Silver knew that where Pokemon were concerned, theory took a back seat to the unexpected. "Nice work, Quilava. Now let's set about finishing this. Keep light on your toes and get ready for a Quick Attack," Silver murmured to his Pokemon, who nodded in response and went to a piece of flat ground to wait out Piloswine's inevitable counter-attack.

"Piloswine, charge him with Fury Attack! And use Blizzard on the ground in front of you as you run, to freeze it back over," Pryce said, smiling cannily. Piloswine began his charge towards Quilava, icy air flooding from its mouth and paving it a path of ice to run over and keep steady.

"I didn't expect that. OK, Quilava, the same plan but with a small difference; leap from each patch of blank ground to the next as much as you can, and if you can try to go erratically so Piloswine can't predict a course," Quilava leapt from his patch of clear ground to one close by, a trail glowing behind him. He was carrying out Silver's plan perfectly, as he had done so many times before; he dodged between patches with lightning quickness, growing closer and closer to Piloswine the whole time. As it took Piloswine a long time to change direction when it had built up enough speed, Quilava was running rings around it, and whenever it saw that the time was right it lanced into a Quick Attack from the side before retreating again. Finally, this had the effect Silver had been hoping for; Piloswine was knocked off-course by a particularly vicious blow, and it snorted in pain, its Blizzard attack dying down. Not only this, it slipped over to a patch of clear ground, and was visibly confused by the apparent change of footing. As it tested its stumpy legs worriedly, Silver shouted, "Now, Quilava! Get in nice and close and hit him with your Flame Wheel!" Quilava kept jumping from patch to patch as he drew closer, so Piloswine wouldn't know which direction he was going to attack from, before spraying out the fiery wheel. It took Piloswine from behind and caught him completely by surprise, especially when the resulting explosion was followed up by one last Quick Attack.

"Piloswine, return. We almost had him there... I should've been quicker to realise his plans. Forgive me, old friend. You!" he directed this at Silver, and hobbled over with his cane. "You have demonstrated rare prowess today. Here is the Glacierbadge. I do not lose easily, so be proud of it,"

"I will, sir. And so will... Quilava?" Silver turned hopefully to Quilava, but the Fire Pokemon was just sitting there as usual, looking at him in a puzzled way. "Oh. It's just... Oh, don't worry. I was expecting you to evolve, seeing as the last five Gym battles have ended with an evolution, but don't worry. Evolve whenever you want, if you want to at all," he said, and Quilava rubbed against him as if to say,

"Silly human. But I forgive you for your foolishness,"

"Thank you, Pryce. I shall place the Glacierbadge on my jacket along with all the others. Goodbye," Silver indeed pinned the badge on his chest, grabbed Togepi, shook Pryce's wizened hand and left, Quilava trotting at his heels. "Nice job, buddy. You never fail me, do you?" Quilava purred happily in response, looking delighted. As they left, they saw Scott outside, who was waiting for the result; his eyes rested on the Glacierbadge and he extended his hand, shaking Silver's enthusiastically.

"Well done, champ in the making! Not long now... One more Gym, in Blackthorn City. Your Noctowl should be able to carry you over the infamous Ice Path, unless you want to go in there and look for a rare Pokemon,"

"No," Silver said happily. "I've got all the Pokemon I need right here,"


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 28**

Silver lounged outside the entrance to the Ice Path uneasily. He didn't particularly want to go in, and in fact Noctowl could have carried him right past it, but having phoned Crystal after his battle with Pryce she told him that if he skipped such a landmark she would personally kill him when they next met. He knew better than to test her temper, but he didn't see any reason why he should subject himself to the Ice Path's danger. He could just get a leaflet about it from the Pokemon Centre and make up an exciting account for when Crystal and he rendezvoused later on. The only thing was, he hated to lie, especially to his best friend. He sighed and knew that his mind had subconsciously made itself up. It was the Ice Path all the way. He walked into the cavernous entrance warily and noted the quite dramatic drop in temperature. The cavern itself stretched on into the distance, and there were patches of slippery ice everywhere as well as huge boulders. It would be tough to navigate, that was for sure, but he needed to get to Blackthorn City for his final Gym battle. Then the doors of the Indigo Plateau were open for him, where the Champion would be ready and waiting to hand over his title.

"Togepi, what's up?" Silver turned around, as he felt Togepi squirming uncontrollably in his backpack. Togepi was wriggling and squeaking happily in his position, and Silver sighed. He should have known that keeping Togepi in his backpack was a bad idea; after all, Togepi was getting more and more active, and needed the exercise. If he wasn't allowed to walk, he acted up like this, expending all his excess energy in any way he could. He unzipped Togepi and lowered him gently to the floor. Togepi jumped up and down in joy, his tiny feet pattering on the ground as he did so. "Follow me closely, Togepi. In fact, Quilava, come on out and act as Togepi's shepherd. Keep him out of trouble," Quilava emerged and looked around for Togepi, but the creature had already sped off towards a patch of ice. "Togepi, no! Come back!" Silver cried, running after him; Quilava padded beside him like a faithful sheepdog. With a flying leap, Silver's outstretched hands managed to grab Togepi around the middle just before he stepped onto the ice. On closer inspection, some of the ice was merely coating the ground, and some of it was frozen-over water. Silver straightened up and wiped his forehead as Togepi continued to squeak. "Togepi, you can't run off like that! If you want to walk free, then you'll have to stay close to me or Quilava. Otherwise, you can stay in the backpack," he said harshly, spurred on by his worries. Togepi's lips trembled as its eyes glazed over with tears, and Silver sighed and cuddled him close. "Shh, shh. I'm sorry I snapped at you, but I'm worried about you. Here..." he fished out a treat and fed it to Togepi before tickling his middle head-spike. Togepi wriggled in pleasure and then fell still, as if to show Silver that he was going to stay close and not run off again. As they progressed, Silver gradually placed Togepi back on the floor again. "Now Quilava, keep an eye on him, OK?" he admonished the Fire Pokemon, who smiled in acceptance of his orders. The smile faltered along with Silver's as the two of them realised that nobody was watching Togepi. They turned around painstakingly, dreading what they were to see, and Silver slapped his forehead. Togepi was slipping and sliding over a patch of ice, squealing happily as he tucked in his arms and legs to make himself more streamlined. Looking down, Silver saw that indeed the ice he was sliding on was above water, and looked none-too-sturdy, either. "Quilava, quick! You're lighter than me, so run over the ice and get Togepi!" Quilava spared him a withering glance before walking onto the ice with trepidation, testing each step thoroughly before putting his weight down on each foot. "Quilava, hurry! He's heading for a thin patch!" Silver cried from the edge, running around it so he was closer to Togepi. Quilava sped up and padded towards Togepi, skidding around and tapping him with his nose so he slid over to where Silver was standing. Quilava himself, however, kept going... right onto the thin patch of ice. With a heart-stopping crash, he fell through and into the cold water. "Poliwhirl, fast! Save Quilava!" Poliwhirl stood firm on the rocky floor, but as he ran towards Quilava he slipped on the ice and ended up in the water himself. "Oh, for... Right then. Noctowl, fly over Quilava and lift him out of the water. Poliwhirl should be OK, being a Water type," Noctowl hooted wisely and hovered over the hole in the ice, flying slowly downwards and finally grabbing the thrashing Quilava in his claws. After airlifting him out of the depths, he fluttered back to the edge of the pool and deposited him beside Silver, looking at his Trainer wisely and awaiting further orders. Quilava bristled and shook himself, puffing up his fur briefly before turning on his back-flames to get himself dry. Silver had to stifle as laugh at the puffed-up Quilava's expression, and turned to look at Poliwhirl, who was sliding on his belly towards him, looking unusually happy after his impromptu bath. "Well done, Noctowl. Thanks for saving Togepi, Quilava. And as for you, Poliwhirl..." he began, but then remembered: _Togepi_! "Oh no! Everyone, look round until you find Togepi. And make it fast; we don't want him to hurt himself!" The group split up around the cavern over a small area, keeping within hearing distance of one another as they searched. Suddenly, Silver heard a frantic,

"Poliwhirl!" Everyone ran to the source of the noise, and saw that Poliwhirl was standing helplessly at the bottom of a large boulder, at the top of which Togepi was perching, leaping up and down happily.

"Noctowl, quick! Catch him before he falls!" Noctowl hooted and flew up towards Togepi, but at that moment Togepi slipped and fell; he landed with a thud on Noctowl's head then plummeted down to the floor, saved very narrowly by Poliwhirl, who raised him up like a touchdown-scoring football. "Nice catch, Poliwhirl! Noctowl, are you OK?" Noctowl trilled feebly as he landed, shaking his head slightly to clear out the cobwebs. "Right. Now maybe we can keep going. Poliwhirl, can you keep hold of Togepi?" He turned to look at Poliwhirl, who was having immense difficulty doing just that. Togepi was still wriggling, and with Poliwhirl's slippery skin he was like a bar of soap that shot out of his gloved hands, then landed perfectly and continued to run off into the cave. "Togepi, come back!" Silver said despairingly, but Togepi either ignored him or didn't hear him. "Hypno, Eevee, Haunter! All of you, come out! We need a full search party to track him down," Hypno emerged and nodded once at Silver, whilst Eevee jumped into his arms and nuzzled into his chest. Haunter merely cackled and made himself into the shape of a floating purple Togepi. "That isn't helping, Haunter," Silver said warningly, and Haunter morphed back into his usual self, crestfallen. "Everyone, spread out and search again. When I catch that Togepi, he's going back in the backpack for sure..." he muttered to himself, and ran off after the scuttling Togepi with his Pokemon in tow. As they rounded a corner, they found Togepi, but not in a position they expected. He was squeaking quite happily in the arms of a member of Team Rocket! The man was stunned for a second before smiling and standing in what he hoped to be a cool, imposing position.

"Prepare for trouble, Togepi's mine. And make it double, he's mighty fine," he started, then stopped at their bemused expressions. "What?" he said aggressively. "Never heard the Team Rocket motto before?"

"Team Rocket's defunct. The imposter Chairman guy disbanded it in the Radio Tower," Silver said slowly.

"Do you really think that the police caught every agent? We're still here. Not many of us, but we're in the shadows, waiting for Giovanni's return. Now, if you'll excuse me... To protect the world from devastation..."

"Why would you want to protect it from devastation? I thought you guys were the ones _trying_ to devastate it," Silver pointed out. "I'm just saying," he said when the Rocket glared at him.

"If you have issue with the motto, take it up with the guy who wrote it," the Rocket snapped.

"Well, I can't because he's been arrested," Silver interrupted. The Rocket sighed impatiently.

"If you aren't going to be accommodating, then I'll have to cut this short. Gloom, go! Use Petal Dance on the boy!" A flurry of petals blew from the buds on top of Gloom's head as he emerged, and they slammed into Silver with a lot more force than he would have predicted. He stumbled backwards and felt his feet give way beneath him; he had stepped backwards onto an icy patch. He hurtled across the ice uncontrollably before slamming his head into a rock, knocking him out. "Good one, Gloom, now let's make our escape," the Rocket said, still carrying Togepi, although the creature was no longer happy or excited. Silver's Pokemon hurried over to their Trainer to check his wellbeing, but Quilava jumped in front of the Rocket and Gloom, hissing angrily as his back-flames burst into life. "Gloom, get this thing out of our way," the Rocket snapped, and Gloom prepared to attack, but suddenly the cave was lit up with a white light that seemed to come from within Quilava himself. Quilava seemed to grow taller and broader, and by the time the light died down he was standing on his back legs, a Typhlosion after all this time. Typhlosion roared angrily and the ruff of flames around his neck burned even more brightly. "Uh oh..." the Rocket murmured, stepping backwards slightly. Togepi took his chance to bite the man's fingers, and the Rocket dropped him with a yelp; the egg-creature scuttled over to Silver, who had been pulled off the ice and now lay on the rocky ground, motionless. "Gloom, go and get Togepi! Actually, scratch that... we have bigger fish to fry here," he said hastily, seeing Typhlosion advance. "Use Petal Dance again!" The wave of petals rippled towards Typhlosion, who opened his mouth and roared in reply; a jet of flame burst out and incinerated the petals instantly. The Rocket pulled at his collar as he began to sweat. Where was it written in the motto that he had to fight beasts like this? Oh yeah... _Surrender now or prepare to fight_. "Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" he squeaked at Typhlosion hopelessly, and was almost singed with a tongue of flame as Typhlosion replied. The Rocket grabbed Gloom and placed him squarely in front of him as a shield. "You can handle this, Gloom! When I see you again later, I'll tell Giovanni all about your heroism, and you'll get a big raise," the man assured his Pokemon before running off towards the nearest exit. Noctowl landed in front of him and immobilised him with a Confusion attack as Typhlosion unleashed his first ever Flamethrower against a hapless Gloom, who was trying to stumble after his Trainer. The massive wave of fire engulfed both Gloom and the Rocket, shortly before Noctowl gripped them in Confusion again and marched them back to Mahogany Town to give confessions to the police. Noctowl had only just returned when Silver found his way back to consciousness again, and Togepi leapt up and down happily as his adoptive mother rose again. He was so happy, in fact, that for the second time white light bathed the cavern. When Togepi emerged, he was Togepi no longer; rather a small yet elegant Togetic.

"Togi," Togetic squeaked wisely, laying a tiny hand on Silver's shoulder as he propped himself up on a boulder.

"Wow! Togepi, you evolved! And you too, Quilava! What exactly happened to the Rocket, anyway?" The resulting cries of the Pokemon all mixed together to create and fully incomprehensible response, so he gave up. "You must've been great, anyway. Togetic, I think you've earned your place on my shoulder rather than the backpack. Togetics are meant to be mature and wise, according to reports, but I bet they've never seen a Togepi quite as energetic as you. Typhlosion, what can I say? We've been together since day one. I'm really proud of you for evolving. The rest of you, as well. I wouldn't have any other team with me when the final battle comes. Even you, Hypno," Hypno tipped him a nod of thanks. "Let's go, then. To Blackthorn City and our greatest battle yet. All for one and one for all?" The Pokemon responded enthusiastically again with their various cries, and Silver didn't recall a single one of them as they walked triumphantly through the rest of the Ice Path. Soon would come the deciding battle that would either stop Silver right near the end, or hand him the keys to the Pokemon League.


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 29**

As Silver and his Pokemon finally left the Ice Path, they were greeted almost straight away by Scott.

"Hello, my indecisive champ in the making! I thought you said you weren't going to go through the Ice Path? And is that a Togetic on your shoulder?"

"Yep, Togepi evolved. Anyway, Crystal wanted me to go through the Ice Path, so I did," Silver replied, making light of what was actually a difficult journey.

"Ah, so Crystal wanted you to," Scott said in an all-too-understanding voice.

"Don't get any ideas. We're just friends. What are you doing here?" He steered the topic away from those dangerous waters quite deftly, he thought.

"I'm here to cheer you on, of course! Blackthorn City is small, but the Gym is intense. Clair uses Dragon Pokemon, who are only weak against Ice types or Dragon types. They can also learn all sorts of weird moves to make them adapt to any Pokemon type; Clair's Dragonair knows Water and Electric attacks, for example," Scott said as they walked down the path towards Blackthorn City.

"Sounds tough. I don't have any Ice or Dragon types in my party, so it could be difficult," Silver said worriedly.

"Togi," Togetic stroked Silver's face lightly in reassurance.

"Well, you could always go back into the Ice Path and find an Ice Pokemon. Delibird or Jynx, perhaps," Scott suggested, but Silver shook his head.

"I don't really want to go back in there. Are there any good spots for Dragon Pokemon around here?"

"There's the Dragon Cave behind the Gym..." Scott started, and Silver smiled.

"Aha! Dragon Cave, here we come!"

"But you can only enter it when you've beaten Clair, the Gym Leader. Sorry," Scott continued, and Silver's face fell. "I have heard that there's a place called Dark Cave nearby, though. Probably full of rare Pokemon that could give you an edge," he said, trying to lift Silver's spirits, and Silver straightened up again.

"Dark Cave, here we come! But I already have six Pokemon... I don't want to replace any of them. They're all brilliant," he realised, crestfallen once more. Scott sighed.

"I knew Champions are meant to be temperamental, but this is ridiculous," he murmured, running his hand through his hair. Now that Silver came to think about it, Scott didn't look too well at all. He was slightly hunched over and his feet scuffed the ground as he walked, as if he couldn't be bothered to lift them high enough. There were definite bags visible underneath his sunglasses, and he had the distinct look of someone who had just recovered from an illness.

"Is anything wrong? You don't look too good," Silver pointed out.

"Ah, it's nothing really. I don't generally sleep well away from home, so these past few weeks have been pretty tough. But don't worry, I would've been travelling even if you weren't on your journey, so you're not to blame," he reassured Silver, who looked set to protest. All of a sudden, an idea sprang to Silver's mind.

"Hey, why don't you borrow Hypno whilst I have my Gym battle? He can put you into a deep sleep with his Hypnosis attack so you can recover any lost hours," he suggested. Scott stopped, looking directly at Silver, surprised.

"Really? You'd do that for me? Lend me a Pokemon when you have a Gym battle? Wow. I underestimated you, champ in the making. Truly great Trainers need to be compassionate and kind, and now I've got first-hand experience of both. You deserve to do well, Silver. Well, here we are; Blackthorn City," The settlement was barely worthy of being called a city at all. It was a million miles away from Goldenrod City or even Ecruteak City; a more sensible name in Silver's eyes would have been Blackthorn Village or Blackthorn Hamlet. There were only a scarce number of small buildings, and the Gym stuck out so obviously that Silver had no problem finding his way there. It was a lot larger than any of the other buildings, and it was so shiny and new-looking that it appeared completely out of place. A curled-up Dragonair was painted in between the words 'Blackthorn City Pokemon Gym'. Once again Silver felt both intimidated and fired-up by the sight of it.

"Er... weren't you going to look in the Dark Cave first? For a Pokemon?" Scott reminded him as he looked set to enter.

"Oh yeah... Well, Hypno, come on out anyway. Go with Scott and do everything he tells you. Hit him with your most powerful Hypnosis when the time comes, OK?" Hypno nodded once and stood coolly beside Scott as if they were lifetime friends.

"Silver, I really appreciate this. If you need any help, I'll be at the Pokemon Centre, having a nice long rest," Scott yawned at the thought of it, and hurried off at amazing speed with Hypno in tow.

"Dark Cave must be that over there. Yes, there's a sign..." Silver realised he was talking to himself, so he shut his mouth and strolled over to the cavernous entrance of the Dark Cave. He had a Pokeball ready in his bag that he had bought from the Poke-Mart, and knew that any and all of his Pokemon would be willing to battle any wild creatures they came across. He silently entered Dark Cave, but stopped immediately in its entrance. It was completely black inside! It could have been miles or centimetres deep for all Silver knew, as the darkness was so complete. He waved his hand in front of his face; invisible. 'So this is what blindness feels like,' he thought ruefully. He couldn't very well go into such a potentially dangerous place without being able to see, so he turned to leave. However, something bumped into him in the darkness. "Poliwhirl? Is that you?" he asked uncertainly, grabbing the creature; its form was similar to Poliwhirl's, but slightly taller and more rubbery.

"Wobbuuuu?" the creature said in a rasping, questioning voice.

"You're not Poliwhirl! But who are you? Typhlosion, go! Light things up with your flames!" Typhlosion appeared with a roar, and the ruff of flames at his neck cast a dim orange light over the proceedings. The creature that had crashed into Silver resembled a blue blob, with a wide mouth, a short tail and closed eyes, as if it was awaiting a powerful blow. "Hey, it's a Wobbuffet! Hang on a minute... can't they bounce attacks back at their opponents? And if Dragons are weak against their own attacks..." Silver made his mind up. "Typhlosion, get ready to battle!" Typhlosion roared again in readiness.

"Woooooobuffet!" Wobbuffet groaned, slapping his forehead.

"Typhlosion, Flamethrower!" Typhlosion bellowed, and a huge rush of fire swirled out of his mouth towards Wobbuffet. Wobbuffet seemed to glitter for a second, as if coated in mirrors, and as the flames impacted they rebounded straight towards Typhlosion! Silver just managed to dodge it as Typhlosion ducked away from his own attack, and they looked at Wobbuffet with new respect. "OK, Typhlosion. Try a Quick Attack," Silver said warily, and Typhlosion got down on all fours to launch himself at Wobbuffet with terrifying quickness. Wobbuffet, however, glowed with a slight red halo, and Typhlosion merely bounced off the creature; not only that, he had been injured by his rebounded attack. "Hmm. Tricky. Try another Quick Attack, to catch him off guard," Silver ordered. It came to the same result; Wobbuffet standing as solid as ever, and Typhlosion suffering recoil of the highest order as his attack failed. "The heck with it. Pokeball, go!" Silver resignedly hurled the Pokeball at Wobbuffet, which clicked open and pulled the creature inside. It shuddered three times before closing. Somehow, some way he had caught Wobbuffet! What was annoying was the fact that Silver had a nasty feeling that had he hurled the Pokeball first, he would still have caught the passive creature. "Er... well done, Typhlosion. You must have done something to weaken it," he said, and Typhlosion shrugged. They made their way out of the cave and Silver released Wobbuffet to get a better look at him. Not much had changed; he stood stock still apart from raising his hand to his forehead with a cry of,

"Woooooobuffet!"

"Welcome to the team, Wobbuffet. Everybody, come out and meet your new friend," Silver said, releasing his Pokemon. There was complete silence as each side contemplated the other. Eventually Noctowl flew over and landed on Wobbuffet's head to try and break the ice; Wobbuffet appeared to not even notice. Poliwhirl walked over and extended his hand for Wobbuffet to shake, but Wobbuffet made the Water Pokemon jump with another impromptu,

"Woooooobuffet!" Eevee merely looked at him sceptically, whilst Haunter turned himself into a purple carbon copy of Wobbuffet and landed beside him so they were almost indistinguishable, save for the mischievous smile on the ghostly one. Typhlosion took the trouble to explain to his fellows about Wobbuffet and his attack styles, and they looked at him with increased interest. Wobbuffet, however, was either ignoring them or seemed to be bracing itself for a blow that would never come.

"OK... you can get to know each other later on. We'll just have an hour or two to rest in the Pokemon Centre, then we'll challenge the Blackthorn Gym. OK with everyone?" He was met with the mixture of enthusiastic cries as usual, but none more enthusiastic than Wobbuffet, who yet again cried,

"Woooooobuffet!" so loudly that Silver wouldn't have been surprised if the nurse at the Pokemon Centre had heard it from down the road. This seemed to warm the rest of them to him slightly, and they walked to the Pokemon Centre with Wobbuffet in their midst, observing him quietly. As Typhlosion had his injuries tended to, Togetic had a post-evolution check-up and the rest of the Pokemon either exercised or rested in the Pokemon Centre garden, Silver sat on the patio with Wobbuffet, who was standing still again. "Hi Wobbuffet. My name's Silver, and I'm your new Trainer. Would you be OK with battling Clair, the Blackthorn Gym Leader, for me?" Silver thought it was best to be polite so as to make a good first impression. Wobbuffet made no move, which Silver had learned meant that he had no problem with battling. "Thank you, Wobbuffet. Aren't you going to play with the others?" he gestured towards Poliwhirl, who was playing in the pool, Noctowl, who was admittedly dozing close by, Haunter, who was eating some Pokemon food, and Eevee, who was sunbathing. Wobbuffet suddenly moved into motion; he crawled over to a shady patch under a parasol close by to the pool and stood immobile in the shadows. Silver sighed; Wobbuffet was well-suited to his team of weird and wonderful personalities. Suddenly, he was knocked to the floor as a huge form bounded over to him and nuzzled up to him. "Typhlosion! You aren't the sprightly Cyndaquil you once were, you know," Silver admonished him, and the Fire Pokemon backed off to allow him to stand up. Silver ruffled his head and he growled in pleasure. Togetic fluttered over to his shoulder, so light he was almost unnoticeable, and Silver took that to mean that both of them were just fine. "Come over here, everyone. Sorry to interrupt your day, but it's time to go to the Gym," Silver called, and his Pokemon assembled before him. He returned all of them until the only free one was Togetic, whose cold but pleasant form was cuddling close to his face and neck. "Let's go, Togetic. You can cheer me on; I only wish Hypno could be there as well. But Scott's been a good friend; without his advice, I doubt I could have come as far as I have," he admitted, and Togetic squeaked happily as if to tell him that he could have. "You always know what to do to cheer me up, don't you? Well, you are the Happiness Pokemon, I suppose... anyway, let's go," It only took them a couple of minutes to find the Gym again, and Silver and Togetic entered slowly. Silver was extremely nervous, as this would be his last Gym battle before the Pokemon League, and he needed to win it; Togetic, sensitive to his emotions, was making calming cooing noises from his shoulder, which steadied his nerves as Clair turned to look at him with piercing eyes. She was standing next to a battle-field that was half water and half land, which was something Silver had never experienced before. Today was not the ideal day for his first time on such a field, but there was nothing he could do about it so he did his best to forget about it.

"Yes?" Clair asked imperiously as he approached, an eyebrow raised and her hands on her hips.

"I'm Silver, from New Bark Town, and I'm here to challenge you for the Risingbadge," he replied in a quavering voice. She smiled in a superior sort of way.

"I advise you to turn back and rethink. I'm no Bug Catcher or village champion; I'm the real deal. I use the most powerful Pokemon type in the world, and they cannot possibly be beaten by a child like you," Silver bristled angrily, forgetting his nervousness.

"We'll see about that, won't we? Anyway, if I'm good enough to win seven Johto badges so far, I figure I'm good enough to challenge you. Don't worry, I know the risks; a friend of mine called Lance showed me that Dragon Pokemon are seriously strong. But if you think I'm going to turn tail and run after coming so far, it's you who should be rethinking," he retorted. She seemed shocked for a moment.

"You know Lance? The Dragon Master Lance?" she asked, and he nodded, eyes narrowed. What was her problem with that? Her face reordered itself from a sneer to a look of new respect. "I am sorry, Silver. If Lance is counted amongst your friends, you must be a great Trainer indeed, and I would be honoured to battle you. Shall we?" Silver was unnerved by this abrupt change of heart, but nodded and took his place on the field of battle nonetheless.

"Togetic, look after my backpack, please. Are there any special rules here?" he asked Clair after unloading his backpack on Togetic, who floated to the sidelines.

"Two Pokemon each. Ready?" Clair replied, and once again Silver nodded. "Dragonair, go! Show them the true power of Dragon Pokemon," Silver agonised over his choice of his first Pokemon as Dragonair emerged. Wobbuffet of course would be the last resort, but who could take on Dragonair? If it could use Water and Electric moves like Scott said, Typhlosion, Poliwhirl and Noctowl would be rendered useless. That left Eevee or Haunter.

"Haunter, I choose you! Let's show Clair that Dragon Pokemon can still be beaten, right?" Haunter cackled as he appeared in a flash of red light, gazing unblinkingly at Dragonair, who stared straight back without baulking.

"A Ghost Pokemon. Interesting... A Dragon versus a Ghost. Two of the most powerful Pokemon types, clashing on the field of battle. Dragonair, start us off with a Slam attack!" Clair ordered.

"Haunter, Shadow Ball!" Silver cried. Dragonair jumped up to attack Haunter, but his attack sailed straight through; as he fell to the ground, a Shadow Ball smashed accurately into his back, and he slithered out of the dust dejectedly.

"Sorry, Dragonair. I was just checking whether Normal attacks did actually work. Forgive me?" Dragonair trilled in response and steeled itself for further battle.

"Nice Shadow Ball, Haunter, but we'll have to step this up a notch. Hypnosis, let's go!"

"Dragonair, Thunder!" Clair shouted. As Haunter bathed Dragonair in Psychic waves, Dragonair glowed with incredible power, launching a flurry of horribly powerful lightning bolts as his foe. One, two, three... Bolt after bolt struck Haunter, who hissed in pain as the lightning forced him back, stunning and shocking him relentlessly. Dragonair let the Thunder die down as it examined the results of its attack. Haunter was floating lower than before, and had several burns from the electric bolts, but he pulled himself together and continued his attack, eyes wide as they glowed and enticed Dragonair. Dragonair rose up and swayed like a charmed snake as the Hypnosis took effect, before crumpling up asleep like a puppet with its strings cut.

"Good one, Haunter. Hit him with a Dream Eater," Haunter dived in and began replenishing his energy with Dragonair's, siphoning it out of the pearl-like object at Dragonair's throat. Mid-way through the attack, Dragonair woke up, and zapped Haunter again with a weak shock to pry his ghostly hands loose. Haunter drew back, looking a lot better after his 'meal', whereas Dragonair still looked unruffled. Silver hoped it was damaged inside, but didn't hold out much hope.

"Dragonair, Surf!" Clair cried, but thankfully Silver had felt a Water attack coming and knew what to do.

"Haunter, use Night Shade to hit Dragonair whilst it's preparing its attack!" As water poured out of Dragonair's mouth, gathering itself up into a wave, black bolts of energy slammed viciously into the side of his head, knocking him for six and interrupting his flow.

"Dragonair, Rest!" Clair ordered, as she saw Dragonair had taken a lot of damage from the Night Shade. Silver had had experience of Rest before, against the Gym Leader Pryce, but unfortunately for him he didn't have Haunter in the match at that particular time. Now, with the Ghost Pokemon ready and waiting, he cried what he hoped would be the coup de grace,

"Haunter, Dream Eater!" Dragonair was bathed in an eerie glow as it recovered its health, but Haunter struck quickly and started sapping that same health away, turning Dragonair's attack against it perfectly. Silver could hear Clair gnashing her teeth, aware of her mistake. Luckily for her Dragonair didn't stay asleep very long this time, although it was long enough for Haunter to drain quite a lot of energy.

"Dragonair, Thunder again, and don't stop until Haunter has well and truly fainted," Clair snapped, and Dragonair sizzled with electrical energy again as it directed bolts of energy at Haunter.

"Haunter, try and block the bolts with your Night Shade. If you see an opening, take the chance and throw a Shadow Ball," Silver advised, and Haunter murmured his assent. The bolts of electricity and the bolts of purest darkness clashed above the battle-field, creating a vicious crackling sound as they impacted and strove against each other. The hairs on Silver's neck stood up as Dragonair amassed more and more static to power its attack, and it was working; every now and again, small bolts slipped past the Night Shade and struck Haunter, although his own attack never wavered. Silver saw that it was hopeless; Thunder was if anything getting more and more powerful, whilst it was all Haunter could do to stave off the most powerful bolts, suffering the weak ones as best he could. "Haunter, drop down low to the ground, and lob a Shadow Ball!" he ordered. Haunter stopped the Night Shade attack, but before the Thunder could hit him he was gone, creating a Shadow Ball between his hands.

"Dragonair, hit him quickly, whilst he's still preparing!" Clair said sharply, and Dragonair redirected its attack at the speed of light. The electric bolts slammed into Haunter and lit him up in starkest yellow, highlighting his surprised expression and wide-open mouth. Silver was about to recall him, convinced he was defeated, but he managed to hurl his Shadow Ball through the Thunder. It impacted with the Dragon Pokemon hard, and Dragonair squeaked with pain as it flew backwards limply. The electric attack fizzled out as Dragonair's eyes rolled helplessly.

"Haunter, you won! I'm so proud of you!" Silver cried, but Haunter was barely conscious and seemed to have been Paralysed by the powerful Electric attack. "Return, Haunter. You were really good against Dragonair; Dragons are some of the toughest Pokemon to beat, so well done again," Silver said, trying not to betray how worried he was by Haunter's condition.

"Dragonair, return. You too were very good, but there can only be one winner. You acquitted yourself well, but now it's your turn, Kingdra!" The large seahorse-like Pokemon appeared in a patch of water, its eyes narrowed as it focused on the fight.

"This one looks like a tough cookie. Wobbuffet, go! I'm counting on you!" he said slightly desperately. Wobbuffet turned to look at him, slapped his forehead and cried,

"Woooooobuffet!" as if to say "You're counting on me? Good luck!" This wasn't exactly heartening, but Silver ignored it and said,

"Turn round, Wobbuffet. Kingdra's over there. Now focus and get ready for some of that power you showed earlier," Wobbuffet lowered his arm and let it hang beside him, looking apprehensive as if he expected a massive attack from his foe and was concentrating only on surviving it.

"Ha! This blue blob cannot beat you, Kingdra! Wobbuffets can't even strike first! We may as well get this over with quickly, to be more merciful on the two of them. Use your Hyper Beam, but get as far away from Wobbuffet as you can, so it can build up its maximum speed and power before impact," Clair advised, and Kingdra swam backwards as its snout began to glow brightly. Normally Silver would have used Kingdra's retreat to think up some inventive tactic, but not today. Wobbuffet wasn't exactly the sort to adhere to complex attacks, anyway. Silver cried the first thing that came to mind as the Hyper Beam thundered towards Wobbuffet;

"Wobbuffet, Counter!" Wobbuffet glowed slightly red again as it braced itself, and Clair laughed in victory as the Hyper Beam hammered home. For a moment, Silver thought Wobbuffet was going to keel over in defeat, but suddenly the beam bounced off him and returned straight to sender, building up even more power on the way back. Kingdra's expression would have been hilarious had the situation not been so monumental, and it seemed to be in slow motion that its own Hyper Beam slammed with terrifying power into its own forehead. Kingdra was pushed deep underwater from the impact, and after a few seconds in which everybody held their breath, he floated back to the top, prone. His eyes were blank and pathetic little bubbles were blowing from his limp snout.

"Kingdra, no! You can't be beaten! Not so quickly! Not so easily!" Clair let out an agonised cry as she ran towards Kingdra, but after a moment's examination she was forced to admit defeat, and returned him. "That was not a proper victory," she said stiffly as she glared at Silver.

"What do you mean, not a proper victory?" Silver yelled. "My Pokemon beat yours with a legal move! Maybe if you hadn't been so eager to finish him off like he was nothing, Wobbuffet couldn't have hit back so hard!" Clair fell silent at this and pondered his words.

"What you say is true. But I still can't accept your victory. Bring me back a Dragon Fang from the Dragon Cave behind the Gym, and then I shall hand over the Risingbadge. Not a moment before," she said finally, and Silver could tell from her expression that she wasn't going to listen to reason.

"Fine. But I'm not leaving the city without my Risingbadge," he snapped, and stumped off, Togetic in tow and Wobbuffet hobbling behind. As they walked towards the Dragon Cave, Silver said, "Wobbuffet, I have to admit that despite your undeniable strangeness, that was the most powerful attack I've ever seen. More powerful even than any on TV. You were really good,"

"Wooooobuffet!" Wobbuffet slapped his forehead before being returned in a flash of red light. Silver strapped his backpack back on and let Togetic land on his shoulder.

"How can she do this?" he grumbled. "I won fair and square," Togetic made a soothing noise and stroked his face again, and he felt slightly better. So he had to fetch some old fang from a cave. Who cares? He had just won his eighth Gym badge. When he brought back the Dragon Fang, he would be able to compete in the Pokemon League. Clair was just a sore loser. The cave was guarded by an old man, but he stepped aside when Silver told him of his quest. As he passed, he saw that the man was favouring a bandaged arm, and asked, "Are you OK? What happened to your arm?" The old man waved him away.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Some red-haired maniac forced his way past me a few days back; said he wanted to use the Dragon Cave to train. He even used his Feraligatr to bite my arm when I wouldn't move! But he hasn't emerged for a while now. Probably lost, and good riddance," the man grumbled. Silver stopped himself burying his head in his hands with great difficulty. 'Red-haired maniac' was the perfect description of Gold. Would he be dogged by that demonic creature for his entire life? Suddenly he was a lot more hesitant about entering the cave. What was to stop Gold attacking unexpectedly and seizing his Pokemon, like he had stolen the collector's Pokemon in Cianwood City? Togetic trilled a high, almost musical note from his shoulder, and he felt heartened again. He had to do this, and he had beaten Gold in the past, so he had nothing to fear. He strode into the cave before he could convince himself otherwise. There was a constant dripping of water in the cave, and a rotting wooden ladder provided the only way down into the depths. The Dragon Cave itself was deep below ground, and was filled with a huge, icy lake. There seemed to be an island in the middle, and Silver didn't think that it took a genius to work out where the Dragon Fang would be.

"Poliwhirl, go! Can you swim to the island and bring me back a Dragon Fang if you find one, OK?" Poliwhirl emerged and dived into the cold water of the lake, swimming so swiftly that he was soon out of sight. There was deathly silence for a few moments, and just to break it Silver cried, "Noctowl, come out! Can you see any sign of Gold anywhere in the darkness?" he lowered his voice to a whisper, and the Owl Pokemon gazed around, its eyes like searchlights as they penetrated the gloom easily. Eventually, Noctowl shook his head slowly, and Silver returned him gratefully. "Thanks, Noctowl. You've put my mind at rest. If there was anybody in here, I know you'd be able to see them," Silver said, louder than necessary to keep the dreaded silence away. Poliwhirl was fortunately not long in returning, and clambered up onto the bank holding a long, ivory tooth. "Poliwhirl, great work! Thanks... Now, return. You've earned yourself a treat when we get back to the Pokemon Centre. Now let's get out of here," He made his way back to the ladder and climbed up it as quickly as he dared; it may have been his imagination, but he could have sworn that he heard the sound of grim laughter echoing around the cavern after him.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 30**

"I have to do _what_?" Silver asked the man incredulously.

"You have to use a Pokemon to get yourself up the Tohjo Falls. If you don't pass through them, you can't participate in the Indigo League; League rules, I'm afraid," the man replied. Silver had gotten into a conversation with a man at the Pokemon Centre who had Pokemon League judging experience, and had learnt to his dismay that to get into Kanto and officially start the trek up Victory Road, he would have to climb up a steep waterfall, then go down the other side. On top of that, he had to use a Pokemon; a Water Pokemon, to be precise. Poliwhirl was a great Pokemon, but Silver didn't think he was quite strong enough to carry him and swim up a waterfall at the same time. He had just won his Risingbadge after handing over the Dragon Fang, and all eight badges were clipped to his jacket proudly. He still had the Master Ball badge from Chikorita and the Radio Tower badge from Crystal as well, and held them in just as much esteem as the official Gym ones. Now he was resting in the Pokemon Centre with his Pokemon, having some late lunch as they crowded around him and the former League judge. Hypno was presumably still with Scott, who was sleeping upstairs in his room, but the rest of his team, as well as Togetic of course, were all present, correct and looking great. Haunter had had some intensive therapy after his near-defeat in the match against Clair, but was just as mischievous and mocking as ever. Wobbuffet, on the other hand, had demonstrated incredible resilience by not even needing a check-up after being hit by Kingdra's Hyper Beam.

"But Tohjo Falls is close by? Just East of New Bark Town?" Silver prompted, and the judge nodded magisterially. "Great! Thank you very much for the help, it's greatly appreciated,"

"Not at all, my boy, not at all. Good luck, by the way," the judge tipped his hat and left Silver at the table with his Pokemon to finish off his food.

"Well, Noctowl, are you OK to fly us to New Bark Town in a few minutes? I just need to speak to Scott first and get Hypno back, and then we'll go," Noctowl hooted in assent through his mouthful of food, and Silver rose and left them to their food as he went to look for Scott. He was pleasantly surprised to see Hypno standing outside, who nodded at Silver in greeting as if they had arranged to meet there. "Hypno! How are you? I won the Risingbadge, here, take a look..." Hypno gazed at the badge for a second before giving Silver a thumbs-up in silence, something he hadn't done for a while. "How's Scott? Is he asleep?" Hypno nodded once, and Silver sighed as he agonised over his actions. He wanted to wake Scott, tell him about the battle and then fly straight away to New Bark Town and Tohjo Falls. But Scott had trouble sleeping, and he felt bad interrupting what would otherwise have been a peaceful, dreamless day's sleep. He was spared his decision by Scott's door opening seemingly of its own accord. Scott was standing in the doorway, still wearing his sunglasses; by the look of him, he had slept in his clothes. Scott yawned and stretched.

"What's up?" he asked sleepily.

"Did I wake you? I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to," Silver replied anxiously, and Scott gave a wry little laugh.

"Don't worry. Anybody who had just qualified for the Pokemon League has a right to shout about it," he said, managing a smile.

"I haven't qualified just yet," Silver said darkly, and told Scott all about the Tohjo Falls.

"So you're leaving straight away?" Scott asked, sounding faintly disappointed.

"Yeah, I just wanted to see you before I go. Will you be there when I take on the Elite Four?"

"I'll do my best. But I have an absolutely massive favour to ask. Hypno is an insomniac's dream come true. His Hypnosis is brilliant, and he even eats any dreams you have, so you never have nightmares! I was wondering whether I could be incredibly out of order and ask you whether Hypno could stay with me for a while. I'll return him as soon as I've finished travelling, of course, and I'll take great care of him," Scott said enthusiastically, as if he was a youngster trying to convince someone that he was the best person to give the new kitten to. Silver was shocked for a second, then realised he should have seen it coming. He was, of course, very reluctant to part company with Hypno, as they had been through a lot together. They had met over a sandwich which Drowzee had devoured without Silver's consent. Silver smiled as he recalled this, as well as the many memories of Hypno's relaxed, laid-back nature.

"What do you think, Hypno? Are you happy to travel with Scott? I know you like eating dreams for a treat, and Scott will let you do just that every night if you promise to put him to sleep," he half-heartedly attempted to convince the Psychic Pokemon, but to his dismay Hypno nodded once. That was about as enthusiastic a response as he was likely to get from him.

"Great! So Hypno will come with me on my travels, and I promise I'll ring you every now and again to tell you how he's doing. Here's my number for your Pokegear..." Silver typed in his number slowly, feeling disappointment well up within him. He couldn't in good conscience part Scott and Hypno, but he hadn't banked on a separation from one of his friends so late in the game; they were days away from the Elite Four, after all.

"Hypno, promise to be good for Scott. Don't eat his food without his knowledge, don't be too slow whilst he's walking along... and... and look after yourself. You've been a great partner, and I couldn't have got this far without you. I promise I'll see you again someday. We'll fight alongside each other again. Keep working on that Con... Confu... Confusion..." Silver felt tears welling up and his voice broke without quite knowing why. He launched himself into an embrace, and to his surprise Hypno responded, hugging him back. When they finally separated, Hypno gave him a nod and a thumbs-up, which Silver returned enthusiastically before leaving as fast as he could, forgetting even to say goodbye to Scott. He ran down to the food hall and found his Pokemon waiting for him. Typhlosion reared up in front of him and put his front paws on his shoulders, gazing into his eyes questioningly. "Hypno's... Hypno's... he's gone, Typhlosion. He's travelling with Scott. We'll keep in touch, but we'll hardly ever see that thumbs-up and nod again..." Silver wiped his eyes as Togetic landed on his shoulder, buoying him up. The rest of his Pokemon also showed their support and solidarity, and the team left the Pokemon Centre sadly. Each Pokemon, as well as Silver, was thinking on a particular moment with Hypno that they would always remember. Even Wobbuffet, who had never actually met Hypno, was silent and slack in comparison to his usual self. Silver tied himself up in the flying harness as if in a daze, returning all of his Pokemon apart from Noctowl, and the Owl Pokemon took off slowly, carrying Silver away back towards home. Togetic floated effortlessly beside him as he hung there, thinking on his old friend's departure. Suddenly, he felt a presence in his mind, and dozens of thoughts flowed into his; happy times, hard times, but all times they had spent together. Hypno's Psychic goodbye. 'Goodbye, Hypno,' Silver thought as hard as he could, trying to communicate through the connection, 'I'll never forget you'. Hypno responded in kind, not exactly through words, but rather feelings; but Silver knew what was being said. 'Goodbye, Silver. You were a good master and a good friend. We shall meet again someday'. Suddenly, the contact was broken, and Silver was left with a curious feeling. He was still sad, of course, but he knew that he and Hypno would forever share the bond of friendship and camaraderie no matter what distance was between them. Togetic let out a string of strangely musical chirps, squeaks, chimes and echoes, a tune which made Silver feel full and warm inside. Togetic was saying his own goodbye to Hypno, and Silver was sure that the Psychic Pokemon had heard it. Despite the distance they had travelled on their journey, the flight from Blackthorn City to New Bark Town didn't take long at all, and Silver felt very strange and emotional as they landed. He was back home after months of travelling. A year ago he was just a normal boy with dreams of becoming a Pokemon Master. He had played in these very streets, fantasising about getting a Pokemon one day and travelling all over the world. It was like a dream world as he walked slowly down towards his house. He would be almost unrecognisable to his mother; eight badges, dirt-scuffed clothes, six Pokeballs and Togetic on his shoulder. He had probably gotten taller too in the meantime. It was a very weird feeling to rap on his own house door, having not been there for what seemed like an age. The door opened slowly, or so it seemed, and his mother stood in the doorway.

"Silver?" she whispered, not daring to believe her eyes. They had kept up regular correspondence through the Pokegear, but it was nothing compared to meeting in the flesh.

"You've got a new dress," Silver said weakly, gesturing at her clothes.

"You've got six new Pokemon, nine new badges and about three inches taller," his mother countered with a smile.

"You win," Silver replied shakily, feeling himself dangerously close to tears again, before they swept each other into an embrace.

"Oh Silver... Oh, my baby boy's home at last... Shh, shh, it's fine," she cooed, cuddling him close as their tears mingled.

"Mum... it's been so long... longer than I'd ever thought it would be..." Silver replied in a choked voice.

"Let's go in, and you can introduce me to all of your new friends, and tell me all about what's gone on first-hand," Anna said, steering her son inside after all this time. Silver stopped as he entered the living room; Chikorita was standing in the centre of the room, staring at him. There was silence for a moment, before Chikorita ran over and leapt into his arms, cuddling close.

"Chikorita, I missed you so much... You've got to meet my Pokemon, I've told them all about you,"

"Chiko!" Chikorita squeaked, tickling him under the chin with his leaf, and Silver sat down in a chair with the Grass Pokemon on his lap as if nothing had changed.

"Here's a cup of tea, Silver... come on, release all of your new friends. Little Togetic's so cute, by the way," Anna handed Silver a cup of tea, which he accepted gratefully, before she stroked the middle head-spike of the creature now perched on her shoulder.

"Thanks. OK everyone, come on out! Say hello to Mum and Chikorita!" Silver unclipped his Pokeballs and let loose his Pokemon into the room; it was fortunate that there was enough space for all of them, to say the least. Typhlosion stood proudly in front of Anna as she cooed over how much he had grown and how strong he looked, whilst Noctowl perched on the back of Silver's chair and hooted in welcome, spreading his wings. Eevee sat on the arm of Silver's chair, occasionally shooting jealous glances at Chikorita, whilst Haunter made the Grass Pokemon laugh with its uncanny impressions and mischievous good nature. Poliwhirl stood and sprayed sparkling water droplets over Chikorita's leaf, which produced happy squeals, whilst Wobbuffet distracted them all by rising up from nowhere and shouting, quite unnecessarily,

"Woooooobuffet!"

"Wow... certainly a team of personalities..." Anna said as she laughed at Wobbuffet's entrance.

"Yeah... Crystal said we were like a dysfunctional family," Silver said, then realised it was painful talking about Crystal and stayed quiet. His mother looked at him sympathetically.

"Don't worry. You've called her and asked you to meet you at the Indigo Plateau, and she'll be there. If she isn't, she'll have me to answer to," she promised.

"She'll be there," Silver said with absolute confidence. "By the way, did you want to come along? You could fly ahead with Noctowl and meet me there if you want, because you don't have to go through the Tohjo Falls," Anna beamed immediately, and Silver knew he had said the right thing.

"Oh, Silver! Are you sure you'd want me there, at your biggest battle and with your best friend there?"

"I'm certain. Crystal would be glad to meet you, anyway, I'm sure she would. So would Scott, if he gets there in time,"

"Oh yes, I forgot about that nice man. Do you want to buy him a present to thank him for all of his good advice?"

"Er... I've already given him a sort of present. Remember I told you that I had a Hypno? Well, Hypno's travelling with Scott for now, to cure him of his insomnia," Anna was silent for a second, before continuing.

"Silver, that was a very kind thing to do. I'm very proud of you; I know how hard it must have been to leave Hypno behind, but he'll be in good hands. But back to the Indigo Plateau; I won't fly ahead on Noctowl, not whilst you may need him on the way up. I'll just catch a cab to Goldenrod, then travel by the Magnet Train to Saffron City, then catch a cab to Viridian City. I can walk the rest of the way to the visitor's entrance of the Pokemon League,"

"Wow. Did you know I was going to ask you?" Silver asked, wondering how she could have planned so quickly.

"Hoped more than anything. Chikorita can come too, if you want. I've spoken with your father, and he'd love to be there, but one of his Pokemon got quite badly hurt in a recent battle and he didn't want to leave it. I didn't agree, and we had quite a debate, but he said that as a Trainer you'd understand. He said that as soon as his Pokemon was better, he'd fly right over here and congratulate you," she replied happily.

"Sure, Chikorita can come. I hope that I can see Dad, though... I'd have liked him to be there. But I do understand; if Noctowl or any of the others were ill, I'd want to stay with them too," Silver admitted. There was silence for a moment, before Anna said,

"So when will we be setting off?"

"Well, I'm going to go to Tohjo Falls as soon as possible; Noctowl can fly me there. When I manage to get past the waterfalls, it should be another hour or so before I reach Victory Road, then an hour or two to reach Indigo Plateau. If you call for your cab now, then we should get there around the same time. I can't use Noctowl to fly me up from Tohjo Falls, unfortunately; more League rules. I have to walk the way there to prove that I have the mettle to be a true challenger. I'm not sure how Crystal's going to fit in, but she said she'd be waiting at Indigo Plateau, so she'll find a way," Silver replied confidently.

"OK, I'll just go and phone for a cab, then. You can raid the fridge and get some more picnic supplies, if you want," she suggested, and walked over to the phone in the corner, tapping the number of the nearest cab firm into it. Silver recalled all of his Pokemon to prevent a mass pile-up in the small kitchen and he, Togetic and Chikorita went to check out what food was available.

"Yes! More lemonade! I drank the last bottle in the first couple of days," he admitted, pulling the empty bottle out of his backpack and refilling it from the ice-cold jug. "Sandwiches... A packet of 'Pichu Chips' – sea salt, I think – ah, and some Pokemon food of course. You don't mind, do you, Chikorita?" he checked with the Grass Pokemon, who waved him on with the leaf on his head, and he packed a good amount of it into his backpack along with his own food. "What d'you think, Togetic? Is my Mum as good a cook as ever?" Silver handed a chunk to Togetic, who tasted it and squeaked happily. Suddenly, his mother appeared around the doorway.

"Silver, honey, the cab's on its way. Are you going to start your flight to Tohjo Falls?"

"Oh, yeah..." Silver remembered, and released Noctowl. "Ready for your last flight before the Pokemon League, buddy?" Noctowl trilled happily and spread his wings. "We'll have to go into the garden to strap ourselves into the harness. We don't want to become the laughing stock of our home town, after all. Thanks for the food, anyway, Mum. And unless I forget to say it, thanks for all of your support. I couldn't have done it without you on the other end of the Pokegear," He hugged his mother tightly and she smiled.

"Hurry! You don't want to be late for the Champion, after all," she said, chivvying him along. Chikorita used his vines to embrace Silver just before he left, and Silver just took the time to tickle his leaf before exiting the house. It didn't take him long at all to fix up the harness, as he had done it so many times before, and after a second of checking the straps, they were off to Tohjo Falls. Togetic squealed happily as they left; the sheer emotion of the reunion of mother and child had been like a wonderful feast for him, and he felt more powerful than ever as he circled Silver on his tiny wings. Their only obstacles now were Tohjo Falls and the trek up the famous Victory Road; then he would finally be able to challenge the Elite Four for the right to become the Pokemon Champion.


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 31**

"Ready, Poliwhirl?" Silver asked nervously.

"Poli," Poliwhirl replied uneasily. They were looking up at the huge, rippling waterfall that connected Johto and Kanto; the Tohjo Falls. They would have to swim up the falls on the Johto side, and down them on the Kanto side, symbolically and geographically entering Kanto and allowing them, after the trek to Indigo Plateau, to compete in the Pokemon League. The problem was that Poliwhirl was Silver's only Water Pokemon, and being smaller than Silver meant it would be difficult for him to carry Silver up the waterfall. However, they had no choice; the League rules required them to make it past the waterfall.

"Let's go, then. And if you feel at any point like you can't do it, just turn back and we'll think up something else," Silver reassured Poliwhirl, patting his moist head. Silver himself was now only dressed in swimming shorts, and Togetic was hovering with his backpack and folded-up clothes, barely able to carry the load but willing to do it for his Trainer. Poliwhirl and Silver gradually walked into the pool at the base of the waterfall, stopping every now and again to warm themselves to the coldness of it before proceeding further. Poliwhirl adapted quickly and swam gracefully like it was a nice warm bath, but Silver's teeth were already chattering as he was halfway submerged in the pool. It swirled around him and numbed his legs and feet, so he often stumbled on the pool bed and found it difficult to coax his legs into movement. Poliwhirl, however, helped him along, and soon they were at the base of the waterfall itself. It was larger and louder than Silver could ever have imagined; a battering, roaring, swirling wall of water that crashed into the pool below with incredible force. He tried to ask Poliwhirl whether he wanted to turn back now they were up close, but the waterfall drowned it out, so he gave up. Poliwhirl swam in front of him as the waterfall pummelled both of them, and he grabbed onto the Pokemon's shoulders. When he had a decent grip, Poliwhirl began to work his arms and legs rapidly, until he was actually swimming up the waterfall itself. It was a long and laborious trek; Poliwhirl had to stay in constant motion, or else he would fall back down and have to start all over again. The water hammered him relentlessly, making it difficult to see or hear, and the burden of Silver on his back was like a lead weight. Silver himself was barely hanging on for dear life. He reasoned afterwards that his hands must have frozen themselves onto Poliwhirl, because they were numb and unfeeling for the entire climb; as was the rest of his body. His ears rang with the crashing and gurgling of the water that constantly bathed him, but whenever he or Poliwhirl felt like giving up, Togetic was there, chirping, squeaking and filling them with renewed confidence and strength. The most climatic moment of the ascent was without doubt when a Magikarp burst out of the water just in front of them, plummeting downwards with a vacant look on its fishy face. Silver barely avoided the creature as it fell towards him, but luckily Poliwhirl managed to fleetingly tap it with one of his fists and knock it off course, so it sailed past by a hairsbreadth. Suddenly, the sound of rushing water was dying down, and Silver could hear Poliwhirls' swimming strokes as they splashed through the water. He opened his eyes a fraction, and saw past his droplet-soaked eyelashes that they had reached the top. The Johto side was behind them. Poliwhirl had done it! "Poliwhirl, amazing!" Silver managed through his numb lips.

"Poli," Poliwhirl replied tiredly, but then Togetic gave a warning squeak. Silver looked up and saw that he was pointing to a spot further ahead; the Kanto side of the waterfall. This wasn't over yet.

"Uh oh... get ready for freefall," Silver warned as they were sucked into the current, pulled irrevocably towards a chilling descent that culminated in another icy pool. All of a sudden, they were hurled off the precipice, and tumbled towards the ground, screaming with excitement and fear together. The water from the waterfall battered their backs and forced them down ever faster as they plummeted for several heart-stopping seconds... Suddenly they impacted with the pool, and sank several metres below its surface before rising back up to the top. Poliwhirl guided Silver over to the bank, where the two of them crawled out, numb and exhausted. Silver spat out some icy water and clutched his ringing head ruefully. When the numbness wore off, he knew that the rest of his body would be aching fit to burst as well.

"Togi," Togetic squeaked, landing on Silver's shoulder and stroking his face. Silver smiled at him.

"Thanks, Togetic. Here, give me Typhlosion's Pokeball... Typhlosion, come out! If ever we needed fire, it's now!" Typhlosion emerged, and with one look at Silver he bounded over and lay down next to him, filling him with warmth from his fiery body. When Silver was completely dry, he put his clothes back on and strapped his backpack back on his back. "Thanks, Typhlosion, you were a great help. Return and have some rest. Now, where's Poliwhirl? Where's my hero?" He looked around for Poliwhirl and saw him lying flat-out beside the pool, breathing heavily. "Poliwhirl, are you OK?" he asked worriedly. Poliwhirl sat up and raised his clenched fist weakly.

"Poli," he said, and if he had a mouth he would have smiled.

"You did it, Poliwhirl! You were fantastic! Now, you just sit there and we can have our picnic right now. Everyone, come out!" Silver's Pokemon emerged as he prepared some food for them all, giving an extra-large helping to Poliwhirl himself to commemorate his deed. The rest of the Pokemon crowded around their watery friend to hear first-hand about his exploits, and whenever Poliwhirl himself had to stop for a breather Togetic took over.

"Wow, are you a Johto Trainer? Did you come over the Tohjo Falls?" Silver turned to see a small group of children crowding around him, all of them looking expectant.

"Er... yes. I'm Silver, and Poliwhirl here swam me up and down the Tohjo Falls so I can compete in the Pokemon League," Silver said, and before he could stop himself he had launched into a full account of the trip, making it sound a lot more exciting than it actually was. The children were rapt throughout, and cheered Poliwhirl at the end. "So, what are you doing here, anyway?" he asked them.

"We came looking for some King's Rock. There's quite a lot around Tohjo Falls... look, here's some," one of the boys said, pulling out of his pocket a rock shaped almost like a crown.

"Hey, look at Poliwhirl! He's King of the Waterfall!" another one cried from behind them, and they turned to see that the child had placed another King's Rock on Poliwhirl's head so he looked like he was wearing it. All of a sudden, Poliwhirl started to glow white.

"What have you done to him?" Silver cried, running over to Poliwhirl to check that he was OK.

"Sorry... I didn't know that was going to happen..." the child replied fearfully, stumbling backwards as the light began to slowly die down. In place of Poliwhirl, a frog-like Pokemon with a curl atop its head was sitting, looking quite amazed.

"Politoed," it suddenly said matter-of-factly, and continued eating as if nothing had happened.

"You made my Poliwhirl evolve! He's a Politoed now!" Silver said incredulously, but he couldn't bring himself to be angry with the children. They hadn't meant any harm, after all, and had caused none either. When they saw that Silver wasn't going to shout at them, they crowded around to look at Politoed, who stared back at them, quite unperturbed, with his large round eyes. When the children finally dispersed, looking for more King's Rock after saying goodbye to everyone and insisting on shaking Politoed's hands, Silver looked at his new Pokemon closely. It had certain similarities to Poliwhirl, like the swirl on its stomach, but seemed to have completed the metamorphosis from tadpole to frog after all the time. "How are you, Politoed? Feeling better after your evolution?" he asked, and Politoed raised his clenched fist and truly smiled this time.

"Politoed!" At least his personality hadn't changed.

"Well... if you're ready, shall we head off? There's quite a distance to cover, and then Victory Road. If we want to get there before nightfall, we'll have to get going," His Pokemon rallied around him like a guard of honour as they set off. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite as easy as Silver had predicted. The road was choked with long, thick grass, pools of water and large boulders, forcing them to backtrack and change course more than once. What was more, this deserted habitat seemed to be home to many powerful wild Pokemon, as they found out when a Dodrio ambushed them; Silver was only saved from being carried off by Haunter hypnotising the bird-creature in time. They stepped over its sleeping body warily and were far more on their guard from that point on. The one positive point was that there seemed to be no other Trainers travelling towards Victory Road at that point, so they didn't see anybody who could challenge them to a battle. It took them far longer than expected to finally reach Victory Road, which led up the side of the mountain to Indigo Plateau, where the Pokemon League Headquarters were. They were so exhausted by the time they reached the mountain's shadow that they stopped for a good long rest before tackling Victory Road itself. The mountain path was no more forgiving than the rest of the route; less so, in fact. There were cave-ins and avalanches and Rock Pokemon everywhere they looked, and several times they found themselves walking along perilously narrow ledges and forcing themselves not to look down. Silver was actually forced to return Politoed, Typhlosion and Wobbuffet on some of the narrower parts, as Eevee was agile enough to navigate them and Noctowl and Haunter could both fly. He was saved from injury by his Pokemon more times than he cared to remember; Noctowl caught him with his claws as he slipped off a ledge, Typhlosion used his Flamethrower to redirect a plummeting boulder, Togetic used his intuition to warn them away from more dangerous routes... It was with intense relief that he crawled over the edge of the final precipice, and dragged himself up onto firm, flat land, panting heavily. He turned and helped pull his Pokemon up before sitting down where he was, recovering his breath. The League Headquarters were large and officious-looking, as well as being in pristine condition despite their elevated position. There were rooms inside for resting and lodgings, and battle-fields for challengers of the Elite Four, as well as the Hall of Fame; where the Champions of old and their Pokemon were recorded forever. It was a place that Silver hoped to visit to register himself and his team. Close by was the cable-car that led up to the plateau, although at present it was silent and unmoving. When he felt up to it, Silver rose to his feet, his Pokemon beside him straight away, and they entered the Pokemon League together. It was like a strange dream. He had awaited this moment for his entire life, but now he was here it seemed unreal, like a joke. Surely he wasn't really registering himself to battle the Elite Four. It must be a mistake. He was just Silver, from little New Bark Town, a tiny dot on the map. He had no place here. Togetic trilled from his shoulder and he focused again. The lobby was wide and cavernous, but there was nobody in there apart from the attendant behind the desk. He stumbled over and breathlessly said, "Hello, my name's Silver. I'm here to register for the Pokemon League,"

"Good evening, Silver. I trust you have passed through the Tohjo Falls and up Victory Road? Well, of course you have, judging by the look of you," she looked disapprovingly at his torn, dirty clothes and tired, sweaty face. "I'm afraid that the League rules are rather more complex than what you're used to, due to their high status. You will have to face one member of the Elite Four each day, with the rest of the day focused on rest and training. If you lose against one, you have to start all over again next year. The rules against the Champion are more complex still, but the Champion will explain them if you get that far,"

"OK... how do I register, then?" Silver asked.

"You sign this form. Write down which Pokemon you will use, as well as your name, date of birth, home town and date of challenge. We'll keep this for reference and make sure that you don't compete until a year after your challenge," she presented the form and waited patiently whilst Silver filled it in. "Thank you. Now you can go and get some rest, and if you're lucky I may be able to convince a member to battle you tonight, should you be willing. But you must understand that their schedules are rather full, so you must be patient,"

"Yes, of course. Thanks for all of your help. Can I have a key for a room, please?"

"I don't think that will be needed. Your support base has already arrived, and they're waiting for you in room twelve," the attendant replied curtly, as if she didn't approve.

"Thanks... well, goodbye," Silver replied, before walking away to the dormitories. His 'support base'... He had a feeling he knew who she was talking about. He stood outside room twelve, composed himself as if to make light of his difficult trek, and knocked on the door excitedly.

"Yes?" a familiar voice questioned from within.

"Room service," Silver joked, and he heard someone bounding across the room before the door was wrenched open. Standing there was Crystal, her hands on her hips, with Tyrogue by her side.

"Well? Where's my food, butler?" she joked, before they embraced.

"How are you?" Silver asked, delighted by her appearance.

"I'm fine, of course. With such a great teacher, how could I not be?" she replied, looking equally happy.

"Oh, don't start that again..." Silver rolled his eyes and suddenly spotted his mother sitting on the couch. He dropped Crystal like she was a hot coal. "Hi, Mum. Hi, Chikorita! So... you've met, have you?" he said awkwardly, standing between the two.

"Yes, I arrived and found Crystal here waiting in the lobby for you. I suggested that we prepared a room for you, to wait for your arrival. Anyway, how are you, honey? You look like you had a difficult journey,"

"Difficult doesn't come close. The attendant behind the desk said that after I've had a rest, I can challenge one of the Elite Four members," he said excitedly, and Crystal and Anna squealed with enthusiasm.

"I hope it's Bruno. He uses some ultra-cool Fighting Pokemon," Crystal said dreamily.

"How's Tyrogue, by the way?" Silver asked, and Tyrogue jumped up happily and punched the air.

"Him and Chikorita get along like a house on fire. And Hypno... well, he's just Hypno," Crystal said, indicating the Psychic Pokemon who had emerged from a side-door, along with Scott, who was looking a lot better after a long sleep.

"Hi, champ in the making! Look, Hypno's just fine, we've become great friends. Ready for the challenge ahead?" Scott asked, smiling.

"I've always been ready. If you'll excuse me, I'm just going to freshen up... can you look after my Pokemon, please? They've been through it all with me, so they need some rest too," Silver replied, and suddenly Crystal noticed the Togetic perched on her shoulder.

"Togetic! This isn't... it can't be... can it? My baby?" Crystal asked, and Togetic squeaked happily. "Don't worry, Togetic! Daddy's here for you now!" she cried, and cuddled Togetic close.

"Don't ask," Silver advised his mother as she opened her mouth in puzzlement, then snapped shut the door to the bathroom to get ready for his upcoming match. When he was fully prepared, and his Pokemon had been rested, fed and recalled into their Pokeballs, he and his retinue walked slowly down to the lobby again to ask about his battle.

"Ah, yes... Will said that he'd be happy to battle you. He's a night owl, luckily for you," the attendant replied.

"Great! Where do I go for my battle? And where can my friends sit?" he gestured Scott, Crystal and Anna.

"You go up the stairs a little way down from here. Your friends can follow me... that's right," the attendant said as Silver stopped next to a flight of important-looking steps. All of a sudden, he was alone in the lobby. The steps of destiny were in front of him, he and his Pokemon only had to ascend them and their battle in the Pokemon League would begin. He could taste his own anticipation and tension in the air, and saw that his hands were trembling and his mouth was bone dry. Walking up the Radio Tower, fearful of Team Rocket members, was nothing compared to this. Haltingly, he raised his right foot and prepared to climb the steps... Suddenly, there was a bang behind him, and he whipped around to see that the doors had been flung open.

"You! Stop!" the new entrant bellowed, hurtling towards him before stopping, out of breath, in front of him. When he finally straightened up, he managed a smile. "I followed you all the way here, from the Dragon Cave. It was tough keeping up sometimes, but I knew I'd reach you in time. Ha! Seconds before you're about to enter the Pokemon League... ironic..." the red-haired, dark-clothed Gold said breathlessly, shaking his scarlet locks out of his eyes.

"You! Here!" was about all that Silver could manage. His entire being was paralysed with complete and utter shock. If there had ever been a time when he least expected his rival to show up, it was now.

"Ironic..." Gold continued, as if he hadn't heard him. "Ironic that you're about to take on the toughest Trainers in the world, but you're about to be beaten by the unofficial Champion right here, right now. The Dragon Master was right. When I showed my Pokemon understanding and love, they grew a hundred times more powerful. We're a team now. A solid, unbeatable team. When I've crushed you, I'll take on the League myself and become the Champion. Then I'll track down the Dragon Master and force him to eat his words," He snatched a Pokeball from his belt and stood back; a direct challenge. Silver's shock quickly transformed into boiling, mind-shattering anger and he regained the use of his limbs.

"You've followed me all over Johto, calling me a weakling, yet you've never beaten me! And now, on the most important day of my life so far, you're here again to ruin it. I have one thing and one thing only to say to you; bring it on. I'll show you who's a weakling once and for all!" he yelled, pointing at Gold, who looked mildly taken aback at this tirade. But he quickly recovered and threw his Pokeball into the fray, backing away to create space for a battle in the lobby.

"Go, Sneasel!" The dark, weasel-like Pokemon appeared, and its talons flashed as they were sheathed and unsheathed.

"Noctowl, attack! Hit him with a Fly attack!" Silver slammed Noctowl's Pokeball onto the floor and released the Pokemon, who flew up into the air in readiness.

"Sneasel, Slash attack! You can do it!" Gold encouraged, and Sneasel extended its claws as it leapt up to strike.

"Hurry, Noctowl!" Silver shouted, and Noctowl plummeted down, catching Sneasel in mid-leap and hurling him to the floor. "Keep going! Peck! Hypnosis!" Noctowl viciously ripped as Sneasel with his beak and claws before gazing into his eyes, sending out hypnotic waves.

"Sneasel, no! Keep going, buddy!" Gold cried, but Noctowl's power had overcome him and he was fast asleep.

"Noctowl, grab it in your claws and drop it from the air! Then hit it with another Fly!" Noctowl fastened its talons around Sneasel's torso and flew upwards; when he was at a decent hight, he dropped the Dark Pokemon, who landed with a crash onto a chair. As Sneasel tried to rise, Noctowl charged into him from behind, knocking him down flat on his face. His face connected with the polished floor with a crack, and he didn't get up.

"Sneasel, no! Return! Magneton, I choose you!" The magnet Pokemon hovered over the field of battle, crackling with charged-up power.

"Noctowl, return. Typhlosion, go!" Typhlosion took his place opposite Magneton with a roar of rage.

"Magneton, Thunder attack!" Gold shouted triumphantly, and huge bolts of electricity pulsed from the magnets of the Electric Pokemon.

"Hit him hard with a Flamethrower, with everything you've got!" Silver shouted in return, and Typhlosion's mouth opened to breath out a massive wave of white-hot flames, which engulfed Magneton completely. When the fire stream had died out, Magneton was a crumpled, charred heap on the floor. Typhlosion, meanwhile, had been injured and Paralysed by the Thunder attack, and was on all fours, shaking his head to try and rid himself of Paralysis.

"Magneton, come back! Well done for Paralysing him! Gengar, finish the job!" Gengar appeared, a sly smile on its indigo-furred face as it looked at its prey.

"Typhlosion, return. Politoed, hit him with a Water Gun!" Politoed landed and immediately sprayed Gengar with a forceful jet of water that sent him reeling.

"Gengar, Hypnosis! Then Dream Eater!" Gold encouraged, and Psychic waves flooded from Gengar's eyes.

"Politoed, hit him with your own Hypnosis! As powerful as you can!" Silver ordered, and the two Hypnosis attacks clashed silently. Both eventually disappeared into nothingness, having met their match.

"Gengar, Shadow Ball, then! Let's see him counter that, right?"

"Gengar!" Gengar hissed enthusiastically, and started creating a Shadow Ball in his palms.

"Politoed, Surf!" Silver gambled rashly, but it worked; Politoed spewed out a pool of water, which rose up into a wave that thundered towards Gengar. Politoed jumped over the hurled Shadow Ball of his own accord and ensured that the Surf struck home with terrible power. When the water was but a still pool on the floor again, Gengar was in the midst of it, unconscious.

"Gengar, return! Alakazam, you can do it!" The spoon-clutching Pokemon raised his spoons in readiness, his grim expression fixed on Silver.

"Politoed, come back. Eevee, it's your turn!" Eevee landed on the battle-field and immediately launched its own attack, but Silver didn't care in the slightest. Alakazam was hurled backwards by Eevee's attack, his weak body winded and hurt by the unexpected Quick Attack. Straight away, Eevee was there again, hitting him from behind with a Tackle.

"Alakazam, Psychic!" Alakazam's eyes glowed with power as he prepared a super-powerful counter-attack, but Eevee was too quick for him, and latched his teeth around the back of his neck. With a sharp increase in pressure, Eevee cut off the air to Alakazam's huge brain, and the creature fell unconscious. "Alakazam, no!" There was a note of definite desperation in Gold's tone now, but this made Silver feel curiously triumphant. "Crobat, it's your turn!" The cross-shaped bat Pokemon emerged with a hiss.

"Eevee, return. Haunter, you're up!" Haunter stared straight back at Crobat with a high-pitched cackle.

"Crobat, Double Team! Fast!" All of a sudden, there were a dozen Crobats surrounding Haunter, who looked bemused.

"Haunter, use Night Shade, Shadow Ball, anything! Blast those images away!" Silver shrieked, and Haunter simultaneously blasted beams from his eyes and hurled orbs of blackness until only one Crobat remained; the real one. "Good! Now, Hypnosis and Dream Eater!" Before Gold could give another command, Crobat was slumped on the floor, asleep after being bombarded by irresistible waves of Psychic power. Haunter drifted over and ripped tendrils of glittering energy from Crobat's mind, sparing none of his power as he brutally and quickly made an end of the Crobat, who was screeching as the Dream Eater disrupted its sleep.

"Crobat, no!" Gold wailed, retrieving Crobat after it shuddered and fell still. "Feraligatr, you never fail me! You can do this for me, can't you?" Feraligatr roared its challenge, its massive jaws snapping.

"Wobbuffet, go!" Silver snapped, and Wobbuffet appeared, looking as apprehensive as ever.

"Feraligatr, use Rain Dance, then Surf! We'll show them what power means, right?" Feraligatr roared again and started an odd, stamping dance that sought to power up his attack. Outside, clouds gathered, and disgorged their load over the League Headquarters. As the rain pattered against the roof and streamed down the windows, Feraligatr started its Surf attack, making a wave much larger and more threatening than Politoed's as it roared its way towards Wobbuffet.

"Wobbuffet, Mirror Coat!" Silver screamed, and Wobbuffet started to glow as it was enveloped with a reflective surface. The Surf attack suddenly hit home with amazing power, making the entire building shudder with its raw strength. However, Feraligatr seemed to be getting caught up in its own wave, which reversed itself and sped towards the opposite end of the room twice as fast. There, it slammed into the wall with such force that it partly collapsed, burying Feraligatr in the rubble.

"Feraligatr, no!" Gold ran over to the wreckage and started to gouge away at it to get to the Pokemon underneath. Silver wordlessly returned Wobbuffet and ran over to Gold, flooring him with a single punch to the face. Gold looked stunned as he reached up and touched his bleeding nose.

"That was for stealing Totodile from Professor Elm's lab!" Silver snarled, then kicked him in the side.

"That was for stealing Sneasel and Kadabra from the collector in Cianwood City, then messing up his mind!" He raised his foot and stamped on Gold's hand, drawing out an agonised cry.

"And that was for ruining the most important day of my life!" Suddenly, someone was pulling him back, away from the fallen Gold.

"Silver, no! What do you think you're doing?" Crystal's tearful voice said as she dragged him away.

"Him... here! Attacked me!" Silver managed angrily, pointing at Gold accusingly.

"That's no excuse to start hurting him! You've become just as bad as him if you lay one more finger on him. I'm not convinced that you haven't fallen to his level already," she said, her voice stronger this time, and this brought Silver back to his senses. She was right, he had become everything that he once despised about Gold. He had let his emotions get the better of him and not just mercilessly destroyed his Pokemon but hurt the boy himself; an unforgiveable act. His breathing slowed and he raised his hands to show Crystal that he had calmed down. She slowly released him, and he walked over to Gold, offering his hand. Gold let himself be pulled up, and stood before Silver uncertainly. There was certainly a big change evident, a change that Silver had been too shocked and angry to see earlier. Gone was the angry bitterness in his eyes, and the ready sneer. But Silver was still feeling angry and bitter himself.

"Go. Leave now. If you ever come near me again, you'll think that today was just a picnic," he said heavily, and Gold wasted no time in silently returning Feraligatr and running off; Silver was sure that he saw the beginnings of tears glistening in his eyes, but he found himself to annoyed to care overmuch right now. However, Crystal knocked it out of him with a hefty slap to the face. "Ow! What was that for?" he yelled, favouring his cheek.

"For becoming one with the enemy!" Crystal yelled back furiously, before breaking down in tears herself and running off, her head in her hands. Silver looked over to his mother, who looked equally if not more angry, and Scott, who was shifting uncomfortably. Togetic trilled sadly and he felt an immense wave of guilt overwhelm him.

"Go and apologise to her immediately. If we ever see that boy again, you will apologise to him, too. Your father will hear about this, make no mistake," Anna said severely, and Silver walked back to his room with his head hung. Gold had succeeded in ruining his big day, but not in the way he originally intended.


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 32**

"Come on, Crystal, open up. I want to talk," Silver said, rapping on the door of room twelve.

"What if I don't want to talk to you? What if I don't want to talk to someone like Gold?" Crystal replied tearfully from her room.

"I wanted to apologise. I wanted to say to you that I was completely wrong in what I did. I was just really, really angry and emotional, so I wasn't in control of myself. That wasn't a justification, by the way," he said hastily, sensing a retort coming. There was silence for a few seconds, then the door opened. Crystal was glaring at him through red eyes.

"The only reason I'm forgiving you is because you're my best friend. And I believe you, despite my better judgement. Come in and explain yourself," she said, opening it further and pointing to the bed for Silver to sit down. He obediently walked over and sat, awaiting her, but she sat in an armchair.

"I was just about to walk up the stairs to my battle, and then Gold burst in and challenged me. I was just overwhelmed by all of the bad memories about him. All the vicious battles where he attacked me and my Pokemon without mercy. I was incredibly nervous about the battle with Will, and he was just a focus for my emotions. I'm really, really sorry, and I promise that I'll find him and apologise to him. I've been an idiot and I don't deserve to compete in the League," Silver admitted, completely truthfully. He was wracked with guilt after his battle with Gold and was in half a mind to just go back to New Bark Town and give up his dream.

"You do deserve it," Crystal said, her voice softer, and Silver looked up. "You've demonstrated more than once that you're a compassionate and loving Trainer and person. I'm proud to call you my friend. But if you do promise me that you'll find Gold and say you're sorry, and mean it, then I'll be beside you at your Pokemon League challenge. And I'll cheer you on all the way,"

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue leapt up and punched the air happily as the two of them embraced.

"Thank you, Crystal. It's more than I deserve. Can you look after my Pokemon for me whilst I go and see my Mum?" he released his Pokemon as Crystal nodded. "Guys, I'm so sorry about how I treated you. I'll understand if you don't want to fight at the Pokemon League," He was immediately swamped by forgiving Pokemon, and Typhlosion actually knocked him down and nuzzled him. Togetic squeaked happily. Eevee, however, was perched on the windowsill, looking out at the night sky wonderingly. "Eevee?" Silver walked over to Eevee with trepidation. "Are we still friends, at least?" Eevee continued to ignore him as he stared up at the full moon. As he turned away, he realised that Eevee was glowing. Not only that, he was slowly morphing, become larger but leaner. Standing on the windowsill was a red-eyed, slender Umbreon, whose yellow rings were glowing as the moon shone upon them. "Eevee! You... you've evolved! Umbreon!" Umbreon turned to look at him, fixed him with a stare, then leapt at him, landing in his arms and nuzzling into his chest. "Umbreon... All of you... I love you all. You've been better companions than I could ever hope for, and put up with loads. All for one and one for all?" The Pokemon crowded around him again, knocking him off his feet in affirmation. He thanked them all again before getting to his feet and leaving them in Crystal's capable hands, searching around for his mother. It didn't take him long to find her, and her expression hadn't changed for the better.

"Silver, I'm disgusted. Hitting that poor defenceless boy was lower than low. You will apologise to him if it takes you forever to track him down. You will also pay for any repairs need to the lobby out of your own money,"

"I know, Mum, I know... I'm just really sorry that I did it, and that you had to see me like that. I wasn't myself. I'll understand if you don't want me to compete in the League anymore,"

"What? Of course I do! It's your dream! What sort of mother would I be if I didn't support my baby no matter what he did?" They hugged again, Silver feeling relief and gratitude wash over him. He had at least repaired things with Crystal and his Mum, the two most important people in the world to him. As his mother walked back to his room after kissing him on the cheek and wiping away his tears, he walked over to Scott and Hypno, who still looked awkward.

"Scott... I know what I did was wrong," Silver said; he didn't know what else to say.

"It's not my job to teach you right and wrong anyway. It's my job to support you and give you advice. We're still friends, aren't we?" he looked worried.

"Of course we are. Thanks for your advice through my journey, Scott. I really needed you," Silver replied, shaking his friend's hand.

"Well now, you can't believe that! If what you said was true, none of it was you at all; it was all me, Crystal, your mother and your Pokemon. You contributed to your victory more than any of us, Silver, and I wish you the best of luck in your battle tomorrow," Scott shook his hand firmly before walking off with Hypno, who nodded once at him. He was left alone in the lobby, thinking about what he had done. The one positive of the experience was that he knew now that Gold was no longer cruel and vicious; rather, he was now apparently a good and kind Trainer. His Pokemon would respond to that and in time they would really become a force to be reckoned with. He had to admit that without the shock value of his unexpectedly brutal attacks, he would've found Gold a rather greater challenge. Perhaps they could have a fair battle after the League. Suddenly, he knew what he had to do, and ran outside where the rain was still falling, although it was dying down.

"Gold!" he shouted as hard as he could. "Wherever you are, I'm sorry! I hope we meet again in future!" When the echoes died down, he returned to his room, where Crystal, Scott and Anna were waiting. "Are there enough beds for everyone?" he asked as he entered tiredly.

"Not in this room. This is your room, Silver, as well as your Pokemon's. I've got a room next door, and Scott's and Crystal's are down the hall," his mother replied, and the three of them respectfully left him with his Pokemon after bidding him quiet goodnights. He sat on his bed and sighed, looking out at the moon. Umbreon stood next to him, gazing as well at the pale milky orb that hung far above.

"I'm sorry, guys. I can't say it enough. Well done for evolving, anyway, Umbreon. So you're a Dark type now, huh?" Umbreon responded enthusiastically. "I wonder whether you'll obey me any more as Umbreon... not that you can't battle fine on your own, of course. I'd better phone Bill, actually, to tell him," Silver found Bill's number in his Pokegear and phoned the Pokemon genius whilst his Pokemon either settled down to sleep or – in the case of Umbreon and Noctowl – looked more awake than ever.

"Hello?" the quiet, calm voice of Bill answered.

"Hi Bill, it's me, Silver. You gave me your Eevee... wow. It must've been months ago now. Well, I just called to say that he's evolved into an Umbreon just in time for my Pokemon League challenge,"

"Well, thank you very much for troubling to tell me. I appreciate it. Umbreon, eh? You must be a rare type of Trainer. Eevees only evolve into Umbreon or Espeon when they are truly happy. I can't thank you enough for taking such good care of Eevee. Anyway, did you say the Pokemon League?"

"Yeah, I'm hopefully challenging Will tomorrow, 'cause I couldn't make the battle tonight due to... commitments. It only feels like yesterday that you gave me Eevee,"

"Tell me about it. My research is going so well, the time's just flying by. Well, Umbreon should be a great help in your battle against the Elite Four. They probably won't expect a Dark type, which could give you the advantage. Good luck with it, anyway, and thanks again for phoning,"

"I should be thanking you for putting such a great Pokemon into my unsteady hands. And thanks for the luck, I'm sure I'll need it. Hopefully we'll meet again someday,"

"I'm sure we will. Goodbye, Silver,"

"Bye, Bill," The Pokegear fell silent as Bill put the phone down. Silver was left to ponder in silence, still staring up at the moon. His first battle would be after breakfast tomorrow, against Will; according to what Silver had seen on TV about the Elite Four, Will used Psychic Pokemon. Psychics were always powerful attackers, but usually had weaker defence; something that perhaps he could exploit. But what made him happier than an imminent Elite Four battle and the chance for the Champion title was that despite all that he had done today, all of which he was ashamed of, he still had the support of his friends, family and Pokemon. With that behind him, he didn't need anything else.


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 33**

'This is it,' Silver thought excitedly. 'Once I climb these steps, there's no going back. My League challenge will have begun, and I'll either leave as a loser or a Champion'. He was standing at the base of the official-looking steps as he had done the day before, looking up at them wonderingly. Will had graciously agreed to reschedule the battle to this morning, and after a restless night, an early breakfast and a rally of support from Anna, Crystal and Scott, here he was. Alone in the lobby, the same as yesterday, as the attendant and his supporters went to the viewing area so they could watch the battle. Today he didn't hesitate. He didn't wait for Gold or Team Rocket or some other person to appear and ruin his chances again. He ascended the steps quickly and entered the field of battle. The battle against the Elite Four had begun. The stadium seemed completely normal, if very official-seeming and in excellent condition. As he emerged onto it, he waved at his mother, Chikorita, Togetic, Crystal, Tyrogue, Scott and Hypno, who were the only people seated in the stands. They waved and cheered back, then fell silent as Will entered from the opposite end of the room. Will himself was pale-skinned, although most of his face was covered with an elaborate theatre mask through which his dark eyes shone piercingly. He was dressed in a masquerade costume, scarlet in colour, with many frills, ruffles and tassels, but it was tight-fitting and manoeuvrable nonetheless. On top of it was a black silken waistcoat. At his belt were four Pokeballs, and on his lips was a thin, calculating smile.

"Good morning, Silver. I trust you had a fulfilling night's sleep after being unable to make our battle?" he said smoothly.

"Yes, thank you. I'm sorry about missing it, by the way,"

"Do not dwell on it. We all make mistakes. But I must take it upon myself to warn you, Silver; I travelled the world with my Psychic Pokemon, and they have only grown more and more powerful over time. I am the youngest member of the Elite Four, and I have been a member for the shortest time, but I shall not lose. I shall use four Pokemon, but you may use as many as you wish. Let us begin. Jynx, I choose you!" Will hurled his Pokeball onto the field, and the strangely human-like Pokemon emerged, its hips waggling but its faintly creepy eyes focused.

"Jynx is half Ice type... so Typhlosion, you can start me off!" Typhlosion roared as he emerged, ready to fight tooth and nail for his Trainer.

"A Fire type is a wise choice. But we shall overcome it. Jynx, use your Lovely Kiss!" Jynx made a kissing motion even from its removed position, and an ethereal pink heart emerged from its lips, making its way over to Typhlosion slowly but surely.

"Typhlosion, try and hit that thing with a Flamethrower. But don't waste too much power," he added hastily as Typhlosion's flame ruff roared into life. A thin burst of flame burst from Typhlosion's mouth and struck the heart full-on, but it sailed straight through it. When the glare of the fire died down, the heart was still making its way forwards, unharmed. "Hmm... Well, try and dodge it with a Quick Attack, then. In fact, hit Jynx with it," Silver suggested. Typhlosion fell forwards onto all fours before charging forwards, ducking beneath the floating heart and slamming into Jynx, knocking her backwards.

"Jynx, strike back with Doubleslap, whilst he's close up," Will said, and Jynx slapped Typhlosion hard around the face with her broad palms repeatedly, forcing him to reel backwards; unfortunately, the floating heart had changed direction, and Jynx's Doubleslap knocked Typhlosion directly into it. The Fire Pokemon stopped for a moment, swaying on its feet, and its expression become relaxed and dopey. The ruff of flames died out as it looked dumbly around for a second before dropping with a thump to the floor, asleep.

"Typhlosion, come on! You can work through this!" Silver shouted, trying to rouse Typhlosion, but if his words had any effect Typhlosion showed no sign of it.

"Jynx, hit Typhlosion with a Psychic attack!" Will said with awful finality, and Jynx's eyes glowed a dark, sparkling blue as she drew power from within herself. Typhlosion was just stirring out of sleep when Jynx unleashed her attack, and the Fire Pokemon was lifted up like a rag doll, pummelled with pulses of invisible energy, and finally slammed brutally back down on the floor.

"Typhlosion, no! Can you get up?" Silver cried, and Typhlosion snarled with pain as he slowly rose up onto all fours, trembling slightly with the effort.

"Jynx, that was good. But freeze him in place with a Blizzard before we deliver the coup de grace," Will ordered, and Jynx opened her mouth to release a swirling gust of biting wind, full of sharp shards of ice that threatened to injure or freeze Typhlosion.

"Typhlosion, you're strong against Ice attacks! Hit the Blizzard with a Flamethrower!" Typhlosion stayed on all fours, but his flame ruff burst back into life as he countered the Blizzard with his own flaming storm. The two collided with a great hiss and rush of steam, and the Blizzard was more powerful than Silver had expected; it took several seconds for Typhlosion to fully dissipate it, and by that time Jynx had another attack prepared.

"Jynx, Doubleslap again!" Will cried, and Jynx glided over swiftly to lay another volley of rock-hard slaps to Typhlosion's already aching face, an angry look on her disturbingly human face.

"Typhlosion, grab Jynx and use Strength!" Silver ordered. The two of them had worked on Typhlosion's upper body strength since he had evolved, and Silver felt fairly confident that the Fire Pokemon could now pull the move off. Typhlosion reared up, summoning all of his power, and his own paws grabbed Jynx's wrists, halting her slapping attack. Then, whilst she was thrown off-guard, he lifted her up and slammed her onto the ground harshly, giving rise to a cloud of dust and a vicious thump.

"Jynx, can you get up?" Will asked, and Jynx stumbled to her feet unsteadily, ready for battle again.

"Typhlosion, Quick Attack!" Typhlosion once again charged into the fray, knocking Jynx back off her feet and rising up on his back legs, roaring in triumph. "Great! Now, finish her with a Flamethrower!" Flames gushed out of Typhlosion's mouth as he precision-burned his prone opponent, who was invisible beneath the orange and yellow blanket. When the Fire Pokemon deemed he had done enough, he let the flames die down and stepped back in case Jynx as ready for a counter attack. Jynx was completely charred and her eyes were closed, although she was clearly breathing, albeit heavily.

"Jynx, return. Typhlosion did well, especially after being hit by a Psychic attack, but my next Pokemon shall make an end of him. Slowbro, go!" The vacant expression on the face of the pink Pokemon almost made Silver laugh, but he managed to hold it in for fear of offending Will. A spiky-shelled creature gripped Slowbro's tail; Silver believed it to be a Shellder, but it didn't look like any Shellder he had ever seen before.

"Slowbro's partly Water, so Typhlosion, you can return and I'll use you later. Umbreon, let's go! Get ready for battle!" Umbreon appeared on the field, looking incredibly thin, slick and focused when compared with its opponent. Will's eyes widened beneath his mask.

"A Dark Pokemon? This has suddenly become very interesting indeed. Slowbro, use Psychic on Umbreon. Just to see if what I've heard is true," There was almost a curious tone to his voice that instantly made Silver on his guard.

"Umbreon, hit Slowbro with a Quick Attack before he can use Psychic. He is slow, after all, if his name is to be believed," Silver said, and Umbreon lanced into a lightning-fast tackle that sent Slowbro stumbling backwards, although its expression hadn't changed - save for the eyes, which were now glowing blue. Before Umbreon could do anything else, the rippling waves of the Psychic attack warped the air around him, threatening to lift him up and pound him with power. However, although the air shimmered with power, and Slowbro had clearly successfully attacked, nothing was happening. Umbreon looked to Silver for guidance, ignoring the Psychic completely. "Uh... OK. That was unexpected. Well, try a Bite attack, and see if we can get a reaction," Silver said quickly, adapting fast to this unexpected development. He knew Dark types were super-effective against Psychics, but not completely immune to their attacks. Umbreon ran through the Psychic power like it was nothing, fixing its jaws around Slowbro's arm and digging his teeth in. Slowbro looked as vacuous as ever as it merely stared into the distance, ignoring Umbreon.

"Slowbro, try a Water Gun! That should work," Will ordered, now slightly ruffled by his Pokemon's ineffective attack. Slowbro opened his mouth wider before shooting a jet of water at Umbreon.

"Umbreon, dodge it with a Faint Attack!" For a second it looked like Umbreon was going to be hit head-on by the Water Gun, but before it could impact Umbreon had simply disappeared. Slowbro continued spraying the ground as if it hadn't noticed, until Will cried,

"Slowbro, Amnesia!" Slowbro merely stood there, its mouth hanging open as if it had forgotten something important but couldn't quite remember what. Umbreon reappeared close by and rammed him from the side, but despite a clean hit Slowbro wasn't even shoved away, and Umbreon was the one who was forced to retreat and wait for the next attack. "Amnesia is a good defensive power, even against Dark types. Slowbro, try a Pound attack!" Will ordered, and Slowbro raised his arm, stumbling towards Umbreon as it prepared to attack.

"Umbreon, you can dodge that! Well done!" Silver encouraged as Umbreon effortlessly leapt away from the Pound, then he cried, "Try a Sand Attack, whilst he's just standing there!" Umbreon landed, twisted and kicked a flurry of sand into Slowbro's face, finally drawing out a reaction as the creature pawed at its wide open eyes. "Ha! I knew that would make it move! Whilst he's unprepared, a Quick Attack!" Umbreon slammed into Slowbro, this time successfully knocking him over. His feeble arms and legs waved at the air as he lay on his back like an overturned beetle.

"Slowbro, use Psychic to lift yourself back up. That's it, well done. Try another Pound attack," Slowbro raised himself up with Psychic power before charging at Umbreon again.

"Umbreon, wait until he's really close... Wait... Now! Faint Attack!" Umbreon disappeared just as the Pound was about to impact, and Slowbro stumbled forwards, gaping stupidly as it wondered what had just happened. Before it could wonder for very long, Umbreon had launched its assault again, throwing Slowbro to the ground yet again. This time his struggles were weak, and went on only for a few seconds before he collapsed.

"Slowbro, return. We did not have much of a chance against a Dark type, but you did well nonetheless. Exeggutor, go!" An even odder-looking Pokemon appeared; Exeggutor looked like some sort of walking coconut tree, except the coconuts had faces, each with a different expression.

"Umbreon, come back. You were really good, and I'll probably need you again before this is over. A Grass type is just down your street, Typhlosion! Are you OK to battle?" Typhlosion had recovered slightly since his battering at the hands of Jynx, and stood strong as he roared his challenge.

"The return of Typhlosion. How embarrassing it will be should you take me apart with but two Pokemon. Exeggutor, use Sunny Day!" From the midst of Exeggutor's leaves rose a large ball of bright light, like a miniature sun that proceeded to hover over the battlefield. Silver could feel the rise in temperature, and he wondered whether Will had forgotten that Sunny Day also powered up Fire type moves. "Exeggutor, Solarbeam!" Will said curtly, and a bright beam of light thundered at Typhlosion, hurling him off his feet and several metres into the air with its unexpected speed and power.

"Typhlosion! Are you OK?" Silver cried, and Typhlosion got to his feet, looking more angry than anything. "Great! I knew Grass moves wouldn't hurt you too badly. Try a Flamethrower, and see how Exeggutor likes that," Typhlosion summoned up the energy to release another cloud of flame at his foe, although under the presence of the miniature sun its heat and width were increased.

"Exeggutor, Reflect!" Will ordered, and what looked like a shining panel of glass appeared in front of Exeggutor, protecting it from the worst of the flames. "Now, from behind your protection keep using Solarbeam on Typhlosion!"

"Typhlosion, use Quick Attack to dodge as best you can!" Silver just managed to get the order out before the barrage began. From behind his Reflect, Exeggutor was launching beam after beam of concentrated light and power, throwing up dust and dirt as Typhlosion barely dodged out of their paths. Silver realised helplessly that this time Will had outmanoeuvred him with a clever tactic; a solid defence and a powerful offence, powered up by the Sunny Day. Typhlosion jumped and ducked left and right as explosions happened all around him, almost blinding him with their power and the dirt they threw upwards when they slammed into the ground. Eventually, inevitably, one of the Solarbeams hit, and hit hard. Once again Typhlosion was helplessly thrown backwards, landing roughly on the floor as he struggled to cope with the sheer power that had slammed into him.

"We have him now, Exeggutor! Solarbeam again!" Will said triumphantly, but at that moment the miniature sun faded into nothingness, and Exeggutor was paralysed in place for a second as it drew the necessary power to itself. What was more, its Reflect also petered out.

"Typhlosion, quickly! Strike now with a Flamethrower, whilst he's defenceless!" Silver encouraged. Typhlosion hissed with tiredness and pain as it staggered to its feet, before falling backwards again, panting. However, he clambered up again painstakingly, hazily focused on the gleaming light gathering between Exeggutor's leaves and released a roiling wave of sheer fiery power. Before Exeggutor could release its Solarbeam, it was consumed by flames, stumbling backwards as its coconut heads all assumed the same pained expression. When the fire died down, Exeggutor was still standing; what was more, it was running around in a circle, completely powerless to put out the fire that had caught on one of its leaves. "Hit Exeggutor with a Quick Attack whilst he's confused! But don't tire yourself out," Silver added, noting Typhlosion's condition. The Fire Pokemon, however, managed to build up enough momentum and crashed into Exeggutor, a trail glowing behind him. Exeggutor trembled, then creaked and fell to the floor like the tree it resembled.

"Exeggutor, return. I apologise, I was too short-sighted to realise that your defensive measures were dying down. In your prime, however, you were as good as I have ever seen you. Your Solarbeams packed a great punch. I am sorry, Silver, we must finish this battle. Xatu, strike them hard and take no prisoners!" The ancient-looking Bird Pokemon stood unmoving on the battle-field, gazing into space but looking far wiser and more intelligent than Slowbro ever had.

"Typhlosion, return. You were brilliant in both of your matches, but now it's Umbreon's turn again!" Umbreon appeared on the battle-field again, meeting Xatu's gaze with his own red one.

"Xatu, we may as well start things off with Quick Attack!" Xatu moved so fast it looked like it had merely teleported to slam into Umbreon, knocking the Dark Pokemon off his feet before retreating and staring into space again.

"Umbreon, use Sand Attack to cloud Xatu's vision," Silver said, seeing that brute force wasn't going to work as well against something so quick. Umbreon turned and started to kick up a dust cloud again, but Will ordered,

"Xatu, fly above it," Xatu flapped its intricate wings and hovered just out of reach of the Sand Attack, which sailed harmlessly beneath in a stream of dirt. "Now, Shadow Ball!" Out of nowhere, a crackling Shadow Ball coalesced, hurtling towards Umbreon and moving so fast that the Dark Pokemon was once again caught unawares. However, Umbreon got to his feet, shook his head and looked ready for battle again.

"Good one, Umbreon. Looks like Ghost attacks aren't too hot against you, either. We can't let Xatu's appearance deceive us, as he's obviously really quick. Try to jump up and grab his foot in a Bite attack, then drag him back to earth," Silver ordered, and Umbreon jumped upwards agilely, opening his mouth in readiness and baring his fangs.

"Xatu, dodge!" Will said quickly, and Xatu was suddenly gone. Umbreon sailed through the air, stunned at Xatu's disappearance, and then Will cried, "Umbreon's open for a Confuse Ray! Make it a good one!" Xatu's eyes glowed red as it bathed the falling Umbreon in mind-warping waves of energy. Umbreon suddenly lost its focus, and landed uncharacteristically awkwardly on the battle-field, hurting itself. However, once again he jumped to his feet readily, his gaze focused on Xatu. By now, Eevee would have taken the battle into his own hands, but Umbreon was different. He followed orders, but sometimes tweaked them slightly to catch his opponent out; all with good results thus far. Umbreon looked at Silver for guidance again as Xatu fluttered to the floor, unharmed as of yet.

"This is going to require some thought. All of your attacks are physical, and yet Xatu is too fast to pin down. Well, try a Faint Attack anyway," Umbreon disappeared from view and Xatu was left staring at nothing for a second.

"Xatu, use Quick Attack to fly up and dodge!" Will said, and Xatu rocketed up into the air, twisting and turning as a glowing trail emerged behind it. It was moving so fast that Umbreon couldn't even see it, let alone attack it, so he reluctantly phased back into visibility to wait out Xatu's speed. "Use your Quick Attack to strike Umbreon!" Will suddenly said, and Xatu changed course, flying down to the attack.

"Umbreon, Faint Attack again!" Silver suddenly saw a tactic emerge, and a second before Xatu struck Umbreon disappeared. Xatu was going far too fast to change course, and struck the ground head-on, stopping dead and throwing up a cloud of dust. As he straightened drunkenly up again, Umbreon seized his chance and launched his Faint Attack, re-materialising close by and charging in from behind. Xatu was sent reeling backwards, and Silver's suspicions were confirmed; the Pokemon was very fast and powerful, but its frail build made it vulnerable to any direct attack. "Now, Umbreon, Bite attack!"

"Xatu, Shadow Ball!" Will cried, but Umbreon ignored the impact of the orb of darkness and fastened his teeth on Xatu's wing, dragging him helplessly to the floor. Xatu feebly tried to escape once, twice... then he collapsed completely, defeated. Will sighed deeply and recalled his Pokemon slowly. "You are a good Trainer, Silver, although without a Dark type you would have found me a much harder challenge. Using two Pokemon to defeat my world-renowned four is irreparably humbling, but I am bidden to grant you access to the next Elite Four member. Tomorrow you shall face Koga, the Poisonous Ninja Master. You will need all of your luck and skill, because I was but a paltry taste of League power. You may leave,"

"Thank you for the battle, Will. I agree that Umbreon gave me the edge, but you were a tough opponent nonetheless. Goodbye," Silver recalled Umbreon and gave Will a half-wave, which the Elite Four member returned before leaving through the opposite door. In the lobby Silver was reunited with his supporters, who crowded around him eagerly.

"You did it, honey! You beat him, and you did it easily! Oh, I'm so proud of you! You must phone your Dad later to tell him," his mother cooed, cuddling him close.

"You really showed him. Some Elite Four member he was... I bet Tyrogue could beat him single-handed," Crystal mumbled, but Silver knew she was joking.

"A good start is half the battle. Now you can challenge them on your own terms. Well done, you were great, you're Pokemon too," Scott advised, clapping him on the shoulder.

"There's no way I could've beaten him without Umbreon's resistance to Psychic attacks on my side. You were fantastic, Umbreon, and you couldn't have picked a better time to evolve," Silver said to the Pokeball before clipping it back into his belt. Togetic landed on his shoulder and trilled happily at his success, whilst Hypno merely nodded once to show his support. The Poisonous Ninja Master... Ideally, Hypno would have been with him, as he would be super-effective against Poison Pokemon, but unfortunately he had registered his team and there was no changing it. He felt reasonably confident after today's victory, but promised himself that if Koga would be as easily beaten he would buy his mother a new house and car with the money he won.


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 34**

"You can do it, Silver!" Crystal cried, before falling silent as Koga glared up at her. Silver was standing opposite the stern Ninja Master in his second Pokemon League battle; after using the rest of yesterday to rest his Pokemon, train and tell his father all about his battle with Will, he had risen early and eager today to take on the second member of the Elite Four. His supporters were as usual crowded together in the stands, despite the rest of the seats being completely empty, and he was standing in a rather relaxed pose that was at odds with the nervousness he was feeling. Yesterday he had beaten Will relatively easily and had felt confident, but now that he looked at Koga he had to agree that the man was formidable. He was far taller than Silver, wearing the traditional clothes of a ninja which were both practical and beautiful. He had the sort of face that never seemed to smile, and hair as black as the night sky.

"Please do not interrupt again. This is a formal battle, not a children's club," Koga snapped at Crystal as she shouted out.

"Don't talk to her like that," Silver said angrily, forgetting that he faced one of the most powerful Trainers in the world. "This is between us. She's just a spectator. Although a very good one," he glanced at Crystal and attempted to ameliorate her.

"Fine. My fellow member, Will, told me that you demonstrated some skill yesterday. Skill is vital for a Trainer, as raw power can only get you so far. Especially against me. Confusion, sleep, poison... these are the tools of the true Pokemon connoisseur. These are my tools. I shall render you helpless and pick you off at my leisure! Ariados, go!" Koga shouted, and a large, spider-like Pokemon appeared, clicking its mandibles in readiness.

"Looks like a Bug type. That means you're up, Noctowl!" Noctowl appeared with a hoot, glaring at Ariados as if expecting to turn it to stone with the intensity of its gaze.

"Ariados, start with a Double Team!" Koga ordered, and in a split second there were at least a dozen Ariados on the field, surrounding Noctowl, who looked unworried at the development.

"We have the perfect antidote to that, don't we, buddy? Foresight! Let's see where the real deal is!" Silver said, and red beams leapt from Noctowl's eyes as he scanned the surrounding images. One by one, they faded out of existence, until there was just one left. Koga snarled angrily.

"Ariados, use String Shot to tie Noctowl up! We are far from finished just yet," A silken rope issued from Ariados' mouth as he scuttled towards Noctowl on his many legs.

"Noctowl, use Fly!" Silver said excitedly, and Noctowl flapped his wings to rise swiftly upwards; Ariados' String Shot was spat underneath and Silver had to dodge out of its way to avoid being splattered.

"Ariados, hurry! Use Double Team again!" Koga said, and once again many pseudo-Ariados took the field, masking the real one from view. Noctowl stopped mid-flight, confused, gazing at the many foes and wondering which was the real one. "Now, Ariados! Spider Web!" A large silken net burst out of the real Ariados' mouth and enwrapped itself completely around Noctowl, pinning his wings to his sides so he fell heavily to the floor.

"Noctowl, no! Can you stand up?" Silver cried, and with some heaving Noctowl managed to hop upright, although he was still trapped in the web.

"Ariados, this match is over! Strike Noctowl with your Giga Drain, and don't hold back its prodigious strength," Ariados scuttled even closer until its throbbing body was just out of striking distance. It was just about to attack when Koga roared, "Stop! Tie up his legs with String Shot first!" Silver cursed as Ariados complied, sending Noctowl toppling again. He had just been about to order Noctowl to hop forwards and use his Peck attack on Ariados, but now that was scuppered. As green bolts of energy started to slowly drain Noctowl's energy, Silver almost slapped himself on the forehead as he realised what a fool he had been.

"Noctowl, use Confusion on Ariados! I think he's partly Poison type, after all!" Noctowl looked up at Ariados from his prone position and his eyes and crest glowed blue as he gripped Ariados in Psychic power. Ariados' attack stopped and his yellow eyes closed in pain as the Confusion hit home, lifting him up, shaking him like a rag doll and hurling him away. Thanks to Noctowl's precision, he landed on his back, his legs rippling madly as he struggled to get up. "Excellent, Noctowl! Now, use your beak to try and pick your way free from the Spider Web and String Shot!" Ariados had just managed to flip over, looking hazy and unfocused, when Noctowl had finally used his razor-sharp beak to snip through the last of the threads. He spread his wings and trilled as he checked that his feathers were in pristine condition before turning his gaze back to Ariados. Koga was glaring scarily at Silver.

"That was a clever move. But Ariados and I shall not stop until we have achieved victory. Ariados, Giga Drain again! Recuperate the damage Noctowl's Confusion inflicted on you," he ordered, and Ariados obediently scurried forwards, his mandibles shifting as he looked unblinkingly at Noctowl.

"This is it, Noctowl! Use Fly to get out of its range... and you know the rest," Silver ordered, winking at Noctowl, who cooed in reply. Just as the bolts of Giga Drain threatened to strike again, he flew upwards, frustratingly out of reach. As the bolts died down from the stymied Ariados' mouth, Noctowl fell into a dive, slamming into the spider Pokemon and pecking, slashing and beating him with his wings. Ariados rolled backwards, and his legs curled in on his body as his eyes went blank. Noctowl hooted in triumph as Koga recalled Ariados with a snarl.

"Will was correct, you are indeed skilled. But we shall see how you cope with my next Pokemon! Go, Forretress!" The armoured creature appeared, landing on the battle-field with a clang of metal and peering out with tiny, blinking eyes.

"Forretress... Bug and Steel, I think. Noctowl, come back, you were as good as always. Typhlosion, you've a double advantage here, so don't disappoint me!" Typhlosion stood opposite Forretress and flamed-up the ruff on his neck as he stood up on his back legs.

"Forretress, use your Spikes!" Koga said, and Forretress began spinning rapidly, sending out a volley of sharp metal prongs.

"Typhlosion, dodge, fast!" Silver warned, and Typhlosion fell back onto all fours and rolled out of the way of the volley, although they landed all around him, making footing treacherous and difficult. "Watch your paws on the ground, Typhlosion. Just stay in one spot and use your Flamethrower!" Typhlosion reared up yet again and sent out a gout of streaming fire which was dead on target. Silver got ready to punch the air; when it connected, Forretress was finished.

"Forretress, Protect!" Koga snapped, and Forretress withdrew the cannon-like protrusions into himself before slotting his metal shell shut. The fire washed over him in a spitting, scorching wave, but when it died down Forretress opened his shell again and was none the worse for wear. "Good, Forretress! Now, Rapid Spin!" Forretress starting spinning on the spot until he was just a silver and scarlet blur, before hurtling towards Typhlosion with stunning quickness. As Typhlosion was pinned in place with the spikes, he couldn't move, and Forretress ricocheted off him after impacting hard into his stomach. Typhlosion was bent double, winded, but when Forretress landed it was completely unaffected by the collision.

"Typhlosion, hit him with another Flamethrower! Quickly!" Silver said worriedly. The Rapid Spin had struck hard in a prime position, and Typhlosion wasn't looking so good. However, he managed to let loose another barrage of hissing flames at his foe, ignoring his own discomfort as he focused on the foe.

"Forretress, Protect again!" Koga said, but this time he was too late. Forretress was consumed with flames, and rolled backwards, his metal shell glowing orange as it heated up and baked the creature within. However, when he eventually rolled free, he was still conscious, although it was obvious to both combatants who was going to triumph when they clashed again. Koga snarled as he realised what the outcome would be, and said, "Forretress, Explosion!" Forretress once again started spinning, and when it had got up enough momentum it shot towards Typhlosion.

"Typhlosion, dodge! He's going to take himself down if he misses!" Silver cried, but as Typhlosion stepped aside his foot landed on a nearby spike. He withdrew, roaring with pain, and Forretress hit him squarely. There was a blinding light and a pall of smoke was cast over the battle-field as Forretress unleashed his most deadly attack. The entire battle-field rumbled as the two Pokemon clashed, but when the glare and the smoke dispersed, both of them were lying unconscious.

"I am sorry for using such a crude tactic, but I will not go down without at least one scalp in my collection. Forretress, return," Koga said bitterly, already sounding ashamed of himself.

"Typhlosion, don't worry. Nobody could've stayed awake after that impact," Silver said regretfully, recalling his Pokemon and waiting for Koga to make the next move.

"Muk, go! You will show this challenger the power of debilitating Poison at its finest," The sludge Pokemon emerged, spreading itself out as it lifted a gloopy arm and opened its dripping mouth.

"Haunter, I choose you! You're half Poison, so you should be able to shrug off his attacks," Haunter did a loop the loop as he emerged, before cackling maniacally and fixing Muk with its baleful stare. Koga barely held back a curse.

"You are adept at least at choosing your Pokemon. Muk, use Minimise!" Muk slowly began to retract into himself, making himself gradually smaller with a disgusting sucking, slurping noise.

"Haunter, use Night Shade! See if you can still hit him despite his size," Silver ordered, and the black beams crackled from Haunter's eyes obediently. However, to Silver's shock Muk's size decrease had the desired effect of spoiling Haunter's aim, which was mere centimetres off target.

"Muk, use Sludge Bomb!" Koga said sharply, and a huge blob of sludge bigger than Muk himself was hurled up at Haunter, dripping with hideous ooze and hissing acids.

"Haunter, hit it with a Night Shade before it hits!" Silver said quickly, but this was what Koga had been hoping for. As the dark rays struck the Sludge Bomb, it splattered out into a thousand tiny Sludge Bombs, all of them flying at Haunter and spattering him completely until he himself looked like a sludge Pokemon. "Haunter, are you OK?" Silver asked, concerned, and with another cackle Haunter shook himself from head to disembodied hands, shaking the sludge off until he was normal again.

"Muk, use your Acid Armour whilst Haunter's preoccupied," Koga said quickly, and the now-tiny Muk was enveloped in a wash of black gunk that hissed and spat when it dropped to the floor.

"Hmm... Well, let's see if a Shadow Ball can penetrate that disgusting armour, shall we?" Haunter replied enthusiastically to Silver's request, and lobbed a crackling orb of energy towards his foe. This time it struck accurately, and although Muk stayed firmly in place, the resultant scattering of sludge droplets and the Poison Pokemon's roar of pain confirmed that it had been a success.

"Muk, try a Poison Gas attack," Koga said, although this time his voice was weary; he knew that Muk was fighting a losing battle against his ghostly foe. Foul gas seeped out of Muk's wide mouth towards Haunter, but the Ghost Pokemon stared straight through it as if it wasn't there, still smiling wickedly.

"OK, Haunter, let's wrap this up with a Hypnosis-Dream Eater combination!" Silver said, fairly confident of victory but unwilling to underestimate his opponent. Haunter zoomed in close, superiorly assured of his own power, and lulled Muk to sleep with his powerful Psychic waves. With more slurping and sucking noises, Muk billowed out to his usual size, fast asleep and snoring. Haunter's purple hands fastened themselves around Muk's bubbling head almost delicately, as he lovingly coaxed the energy out of his opponent, breathing deeply as he replenished his own lost power. Suddenly, the bolts fizzled out, and Haunter drew back, looking expectantly at Koga. Koga looked at Muk for a second, was about to shout some encouragement, then realised the futility and withdrew his Pokemon.

"Your type advantage has enabled you to beat Will, and now you have used it to contrive easy victory against my oldest friend. He was in my team when I was but a Gym Leader in Fuchsia City... Well, Venomoth, you will show Silver that without Typhlosion's type advantage we shall not prove to be easy meat!" Koga cried, sending the moth-like Pokemon fluttering onto the field, with glittering powder dripping from his wings.

"Typhlosion may not have a type advantage, but Noctowl sure does! Ready for a second round, Noctowl?" Noctowl hooted determinedly as he landed, gazing up at Venomoth with an inscrutable expression. Koga ground his teeth angrily, which was what Silver had hoped for; if his foe got angry, he would give rash orders and let his guard slip. He was quite proud of himself for being so psychological and clever in his approach, although he knew that Koga would now go all-out for the win, so he would have to keep focused.

"Venomoth, Poisonpowder! Noctowl does not share Haunter's immunity!" Koga bellowed, and Venomoth flapped his way over to Noctowl, generating more and more poisonous dust from his wings.

"Noctowl, use your Confusion attack to stop Venomoth in his tracks!" Silver said, and Noctowl's eyes and crest glowed blue as he unleashed his Psychic powers yet again. Venomoth's wings were frozen in place, but he didn't fall to the ground; Noctowl had arrested his flight and took the time to assail him with swirling ripples of mental energy. Then, slamming the Bug Pokemon back to earth, he took to the air himself. "Nice one, Noctowl! But be ready for counter attacks," Silver warned as Venomoth rose back into the air, looking angry.

"Venomoth, show him a true Psychic attack with Psybeam!" Koga snapped, and it was Venomoth's turn to unleash a multi-coloured beam of Psychic energy. The Psybeam slammed into Noctowl and battered him with crackling rays, shoving him backwards so hard that his wings crumpled and he fell back to earth. "Ha! Now we have him! Move in closer and keep up the power!" Koga said savagely, and Venomoth slowly closed in, increasing the power of his Psybeam as he did so.

"Noctowl, no! Can you fly upwards? Try and dodge the Psybeam with your aerial manoeuvres," Silver cried worriedly. Noctowl flapped his wings experimentally, eyes shut against the glowing bolt that continuously hammered him, and managed to get back into the air, suffering badly in the process. He tried to fly forwards as Silver had suggested, but was merely knocked back to earth again.

"Now's your chance, Venomoth! Without the type advantage, they are helpless," Koga sneered, and Venomoth fluttered in close for the kill.

"You're wrong, Koga; we're not helpless, and it's not Venomoth's chance. It's Noctowl's. Hypnosis, as best you can!" Silver cried, hoping that his made-up speech would inspire some heroic instinct within his Pokemon. Noctowl, however, was flat on the ground, his eyes closed, and Venomoth looked to his master for guidance.

"Don't stop now!" he snapped. "Finish him whilst he's helpless!" Venomoth floated in and prepared for another Psybeam, but Noctowl took his chance and turned his head drastically on his shoulders so he was staring directly into Venomoth's eyes. Venomoth slowed and his eyes slowly drifted shut, and his body crashed to the floor, still glittering with powder.

"Yes! Brilliant work! Peck him, now!" Noctowl hopped to his feet, holding his injured wing at a painful angle, and after picking his spot as he had done so several times before he viciously lanced his head down for a precise, powerful blow against Venomoth's head. The moth-creature stopped snoozing and took on the stillness of one who had lost consciousness.

"Venomoth, no! We had him... Well, no matter. You did well nonetheless. Crobat, you can at least finish Noctowl off," Koga muttered, sending out the hissing bat Pokemon almost lazily, like he didn't care anymore.

"Do you really think I'd let Noctowl battle in such a state? Return, Noctowl. Another fantastic performance. Haunter, you're up again! Poison versus Poison again, right?" Haunter clapped his hands together and cackled in agreement.

"Crobat, Double Team! You have more than just Poison attacks at your disposal," Koga said, and a dozen Crobats surrounded Haunter. The Ghost Pokemon merely made faces at all of them, ignoring what could be a dire predicament. "Good! Now, Wing Attack! Strike fast, then retreat! Like the ninja!" The wings of all twelve Crobats glowed, and they all charged Haunter at once, smothering him in a crush of images. One, however, made real contact, slamming his wings against Haunter's head and disappearing back into the images so that he was indistinguishable once more.

"Haunter, throw some Shadow Balls at those images. Some Night Shades as well, if you want," Silver said, ambivalent on purpose. Koga's face flushed with rage.

"You do not treat this match with the respect it deserves, and you shall pay the price! Crobat will wipe out your entire team!" he raged.

"Oh really? Whilst you've been shouting at me, Haunter has just smashed Crobat with a Shadow Ball. Just in case you hadn't noticed," Silver replied impishly as Crobat floated down, tired and hurt but far from beaten. Koga looked like he was going to shout again before breathing deeply.

"You have purposely provoked me; I see this now. A clever tactic worthy of a ninja like myself. But I shall remain calm and collected now. Crobat, Confuse Ray!"

"Haunter, counter it with a Hypnosis!" Silver reacted quickly, and the two Psychic forces clashed in mid-air as the Pokemon struggled to mentally best their opponent. Crobat eventually spiralled down, fast asleep, whilst Haunter seemed unfocused, like he had forgotten why he was here. "Oh no... Haunter, use Night Shade on Crobat," Silver said, knowing that Haunter had been Confused. The dark rays burst sporadically from Haunter's eyes, blasting all over the place and avoiding Crobat's small, crumpled form. "Haunter, please! Just focus! Try a Dream Eater!" Haunter tried to do the attack in mid-air, but the feedback of energy hurt him and sent him reeling backwards, as it had nothing to siphon power from. Crobat was eventually up and flying again, and Koga gave a twisted smile.

"Crobat, use Bite! Then we shall be the ones with the type advantage!" Crobat swept in effortlessly, fixing his teeth on Haunter's body as the confused Ghost hovered uncertainly. Haunter hissed in pain as Crobat's fangs dug deeper, and Crobat even took it upon himself to batter him with his wings whilst he clung on with his teeth. As it had done in the past, however, Bite brought Haunter back to planet Earth, and he shook his head slowly to clear it of the last after-effects of the Confuse Ray. "Crobat, withdraw and use Double Team again!" Koga said, seeing Haunter come back to his senses. Crobat flew back immediately, and the twelve Crobats surrounded Haunter again.

"Haunter, are you OK to keep battling?" Silver asked, and Haunter nodded and gave a feeble attempt at his usual grin.

"Crobat, finish him off with Wing Attack!" Koga ordered, and the dozen Crobats closed in again, wings glowing.

"Haunter, fly up, then Shadow Ball! Yes, that's the way!" Silver cheered as Haunter perfectly carried out his plan. Having dodged the Wing Attack by darting upwards, Haunter waited until the images merged as they passed through each other, and hurled his Shadow Ball into the mix. Crobat reeled away, revealed at last, and the images blinked out of existence. "Nice aim! Now, one last Hypnosis-Dream Eater! Make this one for the record books!" Haunter effortlessly glided down and circled Crobat, plying him with soothing energies whilst he recovered, with the result that the bat Pokemon fell asleep for the second time. This time, however, Haunter was in control of himself, and grabbed Crobat's tiny skull in his hands, sucking out the energy within slowly but delicately, not wanting to wake Crobat up. In a few agonisingly long seconds, it was over. Haunter was, for some reason, landing next to the defeated Crobat, but the reason soon became clear as he started glowing white... In a few mind-boggling seconds, a grinning Gengar was standing there, his Cheshire Cat smile wide and mischievous. "Haunter... Gengar... Whichever you are, you were amazing! Thank you so much for battling so well and so hard. And well done for evolving!" Silver hugged the Ghost Pokemon tightly, and Gengar's smile widened as it hissed,

"Gengar!" Koga, meanwhile, had not improved in mood.

"You may battle the third Elite Four member tomorrow; Bruno, the master of Fighting and Rock Pokemon. I can only hope that he will present more of a challenge, although as your Haunter has just evolved, I doubt it," he spat bitterly on the ground, recalled Crobat and disappeared in a flash of black dust that he hurled from his clothes.

"Bad loser!" Crystal shouted, sticking her tongue out at the place where Koga had once been. Silver laughed and left the arena to meet his supporters again, feeling adrenaline pump through him. The battles had been tough, but he was halfway through the Elite Four. Next he would have to battle a man who was probably another of Crystal's objects of devotion. Next he would have to battle Bruno.


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 35**

"You can do it, honey. Just remember, you've already come so far, so even if you don't win I'll be prouder than any mother has ever been," Anna reassured her son as they prepared to split up before Silver's latest match.

"You have a weird way of encouraging me. But thank you," Silver replied, and his mother and Togetic (after a squeak of encouragement) followed the attendant through to the seating area. Crystal was the next to talk to him.

"Remember, Silver, Bruno uses Fighting types. And you know from travelling with me just how deadly dangerous and unstoppable they can be," she said wisely, hugging him.

"If his Pokemon are anything like Tyrogue, I'll walk this battle," Silver replied jokingly, and despite this Tyrogue leapt up and punched the air.

"What did you say?" Crystal snapped dangerously, her eyes narrowed.

"Er... I said if his Pokemon are anything _less than_ Tyrogue, I'll walk this battle," Silver assured her, and she punched him on the shoulder in her own brand of encouragement before following Anna into the seating area.

"Be on your guard. Bruno is the only member of the Elite Four to have been there for more than three years. Even the current Champion battled him on his way to the top. But just between you, me and Hypno," Scott leant in and tipped him an enormous wink. "I think you'll run roughshod over him. Politoed, Noctowl and Gengar will be more than enough to take him apart. Not that I'm saying you'll win easily, of course," he winked again before clapping Silver on the shoulder and heading after the two girls, Hypno nodding at Silver as he followed him. Silver walked up to the official-looking stairs for the third time, pumped and ready for his third Elite Four battle. Bruno was the foe, and he specialised in Fighting and Rock types; thus, Scott had rightly said that Politoed, Noctowl and Gengar would give him a certain advantage in this one. He walked up the steps more confidently than ever before, and found that Bruno was sitting cross-legged on the battle-field, waiting for him. If he had thought Master Chuck, the Cianwood City Gym Leader and Crystal's idol, was immense, Bruno needed a whole new word to describe him. His massive biceps looked like bowling balls on his gorilla-like arms, and his huge thick chest rippled with bands of thick muscle. When he got to his feet, he was about twice Silver's size, which didn't do anything to improve his spirits. He wore only traditional karate trousers, like Chuck, and his brown hair was spiked up. Studded bracelets were around his thick wrists, made of tough black material to toughen the wearer up.

"Good morning, Silver," he rumbled loudly with a smile. "I'm Bruno, and I'll be delighted to challenge you today. As before, you can use any amount of Pokemon, with any substitutions, whereas I'll use five. Are you ready?"

"Yes. Well, I think so," Silver replied, trying to inconspicuously nurse his hand after their crushing hand-shake. Bruno laughed loudly.

"Well, that's a start nonetheless. Words have never been my forte, but Koga and Will agree that you have shown yourself to be a good enough battler. We'll see if I can't pound some sense into you! Hoo-hah!" he bellowed, and Silver jumped. "Hitmontop, you're up first! Show him what you can do!" A weird-looking Fighting Pokemon with three legs emerged, which promptly jumped onto its pointed head and balanced there effortlessly.

"Noctowl, I guess you can start me off again," Silver said, releasing the Flying Pokemon as he squared up opposite Bruno.

"Ha! A Flying Pokemon! A good choice, I must say. From Koga's report, you know your types well enough. But types can't always shift the battle. Hitmontop, Quick Attack!" Hitmontop started spinning on his head like a whirling dervish, tilting back and forth more and more until he got the right angle; suddenly, he shot upwards, propelled by the stored-up momentum of his spin, and he crashed into Noctowl, knocking the Flying Pokemon back to the ground as he himself landed perfectly on his head.

"I didn't expect him to be able to attack like that. Sorry Noctowl. Why don't we fight back with a Fly attack? But be wary of more Quick Attacks, of course," he added as Noctowl took to the air again, preparing to dive-bomb Hitmontop, who was motionless once again.

"Wait, Hitmontop... Now! Detect!" Bruno said as Noctowl plummeted down. Hitmontop's eyes seemed to glow with a starry sheen for a second, and at the last possible moment he tilted an inch to the side, avoiding Noctowl's attack by a hairsbreadth. Fortunately, Noctowl managed to pull out of his dive before crashing, and circled back around so he was close to Silver again, waiting and ready for orders.

"Cool move. But Noctowl's Hypnosis will put a stop to any more dodges!" Noctowl's wide eyes opened even wider as he stared at Hitmontop, trying to put him gently to sleep so he was helpless against any further attacks.

"Hitmontop, Rapid Spin! You can't be hypnotised if Noctowl can't see your eyes!" Bruno retorted, and once again Hitmontop began spinning incredibly fast on his head, rendering himself a blur. Noctowl tried to focus on his eyes for a second, then realised it was hopeless and gave up. All of a sudden, Hitmontop charged forwards and unleashed a blistering volley of kicks against Noctowl before retreating again and slowing to a graceful stop.

"Noctowl, are you OK?" Silver asked, and although Noctowl had been caught unawares, the Rapid Spin hadn't done too much damage. "OK, zoom in for a Peck attack! And fly directly above him, so he can't dodge by spinning!" Noctowl flew into action again, hovering above the motionless Hitmontop and picking his spot.

"Hitmontop, they've forgotten your Detect! Use it quickly!" Bruno said, and Noctowl's beak crashed into the dirt as Hitmontop shifted out of the way just in time. "Triple Kick, now! He can't dodge!" Hitmontop built up a spin again and his three feet connected one after the other with Noctowl's back. Noctowl was hurled forwards as the kicks hammered home, trilling with pain. Unlike Rapid Spin, Triple Kick was a powerful attack, and having caught Noctowl by surprise its damage was heightened.

"Noctowl, no! Try and get into the air if you can, so he can't take you by surprise again!" Noctowl pulled himself together and rose into the air, flapping his wings slowly, but his eyes were focused unblinkingly on the foe. "Hey, wait... why didn't I think of this before? Hitmontop can't spin if he's not on the ground! Hit him with Confusion!" Noctowl's crest and saucer eyes glowed with blue power as he gripped Hitmontop, lifting him up off the floor. For the first time, Hitmontop's stern expression changed, and he started to look worried.

"Hitmontop, no! Try and spin anyway!" Bruno cried, and Hitmontop struggled in mid-air for a second before falling slack.

"This is it Noctowl! Keep at the Confusion!" Silver said excitedly, and Noctowl assailed Hitmontop with ripples of mental energy before throwing him aside like a discarded toy. Hitmontop landed heavily, and climbed up onto his feet, looking groggy.

"Hitmontop, Detect!" Bruno said, trying to keep Hitmontop protected until he got his bearings back. Hitmontop, however, looked uncomprehending, rubbing his head as he looked quizzically at his master.

"Noctowl, Fly!" Silver cried triumphantly, and Noctowl rose then fell like a rocket, slamming into Hitmontop and pecking, slashing and beating him. Hitmontop reeled backwards, fell head-over-heels, then stopped. His legs twitched once or twice, and then he fell still.

"Hitmontop, return. You did me proud. Now it's my turn for the type advantage; Onix, go!" The huge rock-snake rumbled his assent as he reared up like a massive granite cobra.

"Noctowl, return. Politoed, it's time for your first appearance in the Pokemon League challenge!" The frog-like Politoed landed and looked as determined as usual, raising his clenched fist in a salute.

"Maybe not the type advantage then. I forgot the challenger was allowed to make substitutions... Ah, well. We can still do it. Onix, try a Rock Throw!" Bruno sighed, and Onix slammed his tail into the battle-field, gouging out huge chunks to hurl at Politoed.

"Politoed, try a Waterfall if you can," Silver said hesitantly, knowing what the penalty for failure would be. Politoed had never used the attack before, and if one of Onix's rocks hit it would do major damage. After a second of thought, however, Politoed let loose a spray of water at the ground, pushing himself high up into the air. As he fell towards Onix, he sprayed more water around him, until he was surrounded by it in a liquid globe. The amazing attack hit dead on target, slamming into the stunned Onix's face and drawing out a roar of pain that made the stadium shake. Politoed landed perfectly as Onix shook himself off, weaving drunkenly around to get rid of the hated water. "Good one, Politoed! Now, try and Paralyse him with a Body Slam!" Politoed croaked his assent and jumped upwards on his powerful legs, spreading out his limbs and allowing himself to freefall to build up maximum impact.

"Onix, a Body Slam can't hurt you! Grab him in a Bind whilst he can't escape!" Onix lifted up his tail and snaked it around Politoed in mid-air, before slamming him to the ground, ever tightening the coils. Politoed writhed in pain as Onix increased the pressure.

"Politoed, Hypnosis... Oh wait, he can't see your stomach. Use Surf attack, then!" Water spilled out of Politoed's wide-open mouth and Onix's coils weakened as he recoiled from the contact. "Good! Now build up that wave!" Silver encouraged, and the water swirled around Politoed, breaking him free of Onix's Bind until he stood at the crest of a wave that hurtled towards his rocky foe.

"Onix, Take Down! Strike Politoed off the top of that wave!" Onix darted down to batter Politoed with a precision head-butt, roaring angrily.

"Politoed, use Hypnosis!" Silver ordered, hoping that Politoed could pull it off; it took a lot of concentration, but he managed to keep control over the wave and send out mental signals from his swirled stomach. Onix slowed and drew back as he realised what Politoed was doing, but he was already overcome, and his eyes slowly shut. He collapsed to the floor with an earth-shattering thud, shortly before Politoed's wave crashed into him. As Politoed hopped back to the floor to assess the damage, Bruno recalled Onix ruefully.

"Don't worry, Onix. A Water Pokemon was always going to be difficult. Hitmonchan, take the field!" The boxing-gloved Pokemon emerged from his Pokeball, and some testing jabs were so fast Silver could barely see them.

"Politoed, return. Good job at defeating Onix. Noctowl, you're up again!" The Flying Pokemon once again took his place opposite the foe, gazing at him cunningly.

"I expected this, somehow. Hitmonchan, Mach Punch!" Hitmonchan darted in and deliver a swift punch to Noctowl before withdrawing again, almost quicker than the eye could follow.

"Noctowl, are you OK to keep battling?" Noctowl straightened up and trilled as if to say that Mach Punch was nothing. "Great! Try a Fly attack!" Noctowl took to the air again, his silent wings flapping as he circled ominously above Hitmonchan, preparing for another diving attack.

"Ha! Just what I expected. Brace yourself, Hitmonchan, and keep your ears open for my orders," Bruno said with a short bark of laughter. Silver was instantly on his guard, but he didn't know what to expect. As the cogs turned in his mind, puzzling out Bruno's tactic, Noctowl fell into a dive and started pecking and slashing at Hitmonchan. "Now, Hitmonchan! Stay steady and hit home with a Thunderpunch!"

"What? Thunderpunch?" Silver said, thrown completely; Hitmonchan's fist glowed with crackling electric bolts and he worked past Noctowl's offensive to land a vicious punch. Noctowl was wracked with electric power as well as Hitmonchan's forceful punch, and he fell down to the floor. He tried to get up, but Silver saw he was finished and recalled him before he could faint. "You did a good job of hitting Hitmonchan, at least. For his tactic to work, it required him taking some damage, and you did your best to inflict as much as possible. Now it's time for my back-up... Gengar, your turn!"

"Oh, great... just what I needed. A Ghost Pokemon. Well, Hitmonchan, at least _we_ can hurt him, right?" Bruno said, and Hitmonchan raised his boxing glove high.

"So they can hurt us, huh? Oh yeah, they've got those elemental punches on their side... Well we'll just have to make sure we aren't hit at all, right?"

"Gengar!" Gengar hissed enthusiastically, grinning.

"Hitmonchan, open up with an Ice Punch!" Bruno said, and Hitmonchan ran forwards, pulling back a fist that sparkled with ice and frost and ready to slam Gengar head-on.

"Gengar, I don't think I've ever seen a better candidate for Hypnosis, have you?" Silver said, and rather than replying Gengar swamped Hitmonchan with Psychic pulses that slowed his actions and soothed his mind. Hitmonchan's sparkling fist fell to his side and he crumpled backwards, asleep. "Nice one! Dream Eater?"

"Gengar!" Gengar responded to the affirmative, darting over with incredible swiftness and inflicting the powerful Psychic attack on his foe. Tendrils of energy were drawn from Hitmonchan into Gengar, and Hitmonchan writhed for several seconds before stopping, limper than ever. Gengar darted back over to Silver and watched his foe be recalled with a quiet laugh.

"Well, you did your best, and you knocked out Noctowl. Hitmonlee, hit him with some high-kicking moves!" Hitmonlee kicked the air quickly as he tested his powerful legs. He squinted at Gengar through his small eyes and got into a battle stance.

"Gengar, I'm pretty sure that Hitmonlee can't hurt you at all. But stay on your guard anyway; this is the Elite Four, after all," Silver warned, and Gengar nodded.

"Right, Hitmonlee! Wipe that grin off his face with a Hi-Jump Kick!" Bruno shouted, and Hitmonlee leapt into the air, his foot extended towards Gengar as he prepared to land a devastating blow.

"A Fighting move. Gengar, stay where you are. Get ready to turn as soon as he goes through you and hit him from behind with a Shadow Ball," Silver murmured, and Gengar's hands began to crackle with dark power as he summoned the necessary energy. Hitmonlee's foot connected firmly with Gengar's face... or not so firmly, perhaps. He sailed straight through the Ghost Pokemon and landed awkwardly, hurting himself and leaving himself open for a Shadow Ball in the back, which Gengar quickly obliged him with.

"Ouch... sorry, Hitmonlee. Come back here, and we can think about a new tactic," Bruno said, ashamed, and Hitmonlee ran over swiftly on his long legs.

"We can't give them time to prepare, Gengar! Night Shade, fast!" More black bolts erupted from Gengar's eyes, slamming into Hitmonlee's torso and knocking him off his feet with a hiss of pain.

"Get up, Hitmonlee! Show me some guts! That's right! Try a Double Kick, but don't get closer than necessary!" Hitmonlee walked forwards guardedly, then when he was in range he darted couple of powerful kicks and Gengar, who just stood there and ignored them as they had no effect whatsoever.

"Night Shade, again!" Silver cried, and the bolts struck Hitmonlee firmly from close range, hurling him away. He struggled slowly back to his feet, trembling slightly but glaring at Gengar nastily.

"Hitmonlee, return," Bruno said, recalling his Pokemon wistfully.

"I thought you weren't allowed to make substitutions," Silver reminded him politely, but Bruno smiled.

"Right you are. I forfeited Hitmonlee, as he physically couldn't hurt Gengar, so there was no point in letting him get hurt any more. Machamp, show them the power that lies within our bodies!" Machamp appeared, a good match for Bruno due to his mass of rippling muscles and intense gaze. Machamp's four stone-grey arms flexed independently of one another as he stomped towards Gengar.

"Don't let his looks fool you, Gengar. He's still a Fighting type, who can't hurt you," Silver said, but Gengar didn't look in the least bit intimidated by Machamp anyway.

"Ha! Did you hear that, Machamp? The boy said we can't hurt his little Gengar! Show him the error of his ways!" Machamp roared in reply, and red beams flooded from his eyes, illuminating Gengar uncomfortably.

"Uh oh... I hope that wasn't what I think it was," Silver muttered.

"Yes indeed! Didn't expect a Foresight, did you? I may be a mass of muscle, but I do have some brains too. Machamp, Seismic Toss!" Machamp's thick hands wrapped themselves around Gengar as the Fighting Pokemon leapt up, before slamming the Ghost down into the dirt as hard as he could. Gengar got up slowly, and was no longer smiling, as his eyes were unfocused and bleary. "Nice one, Machamp! Now, Rock Slide!" Machamp dug his hands into the floor as if it was made of butter rather than rock and dirt, and scraped out dozens of lumps before hurling them all at Gengar, one after the other in an unhalting wave. Silver had to grudgingly admire the Machamp's efficiency; as two arms threw, the other two picked up ammunition and got ready, so it was a constant stream of debris that slammed into Gengar viciously.

"Gengar, return. I'm sorry that I didn't predict a Foresight. I guess it's that time again... go, Wobbuffet!" Silver returned the fainted Gengar and sent out Wobbuffet, who, as usual, slapped his hand to his forehead and cried,

"Wooooooobuffet!" Bruno chuckled as he saw Wobbuffet emerge.

"Sorry, I shouldn't be laughing... don't underestimate him, even if he does look like a blue balloon," he said, winking at Machamp, who laughed.

"Wobbuffet may not look powerful, but looks can be deceiving. Right, Wobbuffet?" Silver said, and Wobbuffet merely groaned as he stood still, watching Machamp loom up in front of him.

"Don't hold back then, Machamp. He isn't going to attack first, so pick your spot and aim for a critical Cross-Chop!" Bruno said impressively, pointing at Wobbuffet. Machamp lumbered forwards, examining his unmoving foe keenly, before crossing all four arms over his chest. Suddenly, the palms of each hand began to glow, and with a vicious scissoring motion Machamp unleashed the deadly attack.

"Wobbuffet, Counter!" Silver cried, just in time; a split-second before Machamp's blows impacted, Wobbuffet glowed with a red halo. Machamp's arms shuddered as the undeniable power of his attack struggled against Wobbuffet's own defences. Sweat formed on his brow as he exerted every bit of muscle he possessed trying to take out Wobbuffet before he could rebound his power. Unfortunately, this same added power was subsequently turned against him, and with a loud crack and a bright flash of light, Machamp was hurled bodily away, pummelled by his own redirected attack, before slamming into the wall wincingly. The Fighting Pokemon slid down the wall slowly, his head resting on his chest and eyes blank. Several chips of plaster and concrete were sprinkled on him from the cracked wall behind, and his four arms were completely still.

"Machamp, return. Another ignominious end for one of my Pokemon... my final Pokemon, in fact. Good luck for tomorrow, Silver, 'cause you've beaten me and there's only one Elite Four member left. Her name's Karen, and she specialises in Dark types. Take her out, which is an unlikely prospect I believe, and you'll be up against the Champion. You've demonstrated some good skill thus far in the Pokemon League, but Karen and the Champion in particular are at another level. Well, I'll take my leave, if you will excuse me..." Head bowed in defeat, Bruno crushed Silver's hand in another hand-shake before retreating through the opposite door. Silver himself just stood there for a moment, catching his breath, then recalled Wobbuffet and left the stadium himself.

"Another good Counter there, Wobbuffet. You're certainly the dark horse in my team so far... But thanks for battling so well," Silver clipped the Pokeball to his belt and greeted his fans for the third time.

"I told you that you'd win easily! I knew you had it in you!" Scott wrung his already crushed hand enthusiastically as Crystal contributed to his injuries with a congratulatory punch to the shoulder.

"Bruno may be way cooler than you'll ever be, but you and your Pokemon are a more formidable team. All of you did well," she said, hugging Silver momentarily as Togetic landed on his baseball cap.

"Nobody's cooler than my Silver! Weren't you watching out there, Crystal? My baby boy beat that big Bruno easily," his mother said proudly, hugging him even harder than Crystal had.

"Well, I'm glad at least that my Mum thinks I'm cool, even if you don't," Silver stuck his tongue out at Crystal, who responded in kind.

"Of course I think you're cool, but in a different way. A less masculine way," she teased, and he rolled his eyes. They walked to their rooms to get some lunch as Silver phoned his father, Norman, and afterwards he contemplated the battle tomorrow. Karen was a specialist in Dark types... which only had two weaknesses. Fighting and Bug. Neither of which he had on his team. Without any type advantage, it would be a pure test of skill; a fitting end to his Elite Four battle before he faced the Champion.


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 36**

"Are you absolutely, positively sure you don't want to borrow Tyrogue? He's super-effective against Dark types," Crystal said, pointing at Tyrogue as if she was some sort of saleswoman trying to pitch a particularly useless object.

"I've already told you, I couldn't even if I wanted to. And that's not a slight towards you, Tyrogue," Silver added, and Tyrogue jumped and punched the air happily. "I've registered my Pokemon team and I can't change it. So thanks for the offer, but I can't accept it. It's me and my team all the way," he said determinedly.

"Good luck, Silver. Just get through this battle and you'll face the Champion. Who is probably a big wimp anyway," Crystal said encouragingly.

"What judgement do you base that on?" She shrugged.

"If he doesn't reveal his identity to anyone, he must be scared that everyone will know he's a loser," she said finally, after some thought. Silver sighed.

"He doesn't reveal his identity because... well, I don't know exactly, but to beat the Elite Four and stay as a Champion for three years you have to be pretty good," Silver summed up. She shrugged again.

"Good luck anyway. I know you can do it,"

"Just one more battle, honey. Take it Pokemon by Pokemon and you'll be just fine, even without a type advantage. Good luck!" His mother kissed him on the cheek as Scott moved up to say his piece.

"What can I say except good luck. You've already proved yourself to be a great Trainer, and now you'll face your toughest challenge yet. Until tomorrow, that is. Keep a cool head and you'll do just great," he said, shaking Silver's hand before leaving to sit in the stands. Silver felt nervous once again as he ascended the official-looking steps. Against the other three, he had had a type advantage. Now he faced one of the toughest and most powerful Trainers in the world on even terms; a terrifying prospect. But he couldn't turn back now, as he was inches away from the title of Champion. Yes, today's battle would be his greatest challenge yet, but he would fight hard and strive to be the very best he could be. At least then he could walk away with his head held high. Walking into the arena slowly, he saw that Karen was waiting for him. She was slightly taller than Silver, and dressed in black leather. Her rippling blond hair was a stark contrast to her dark clothes, and her smooth complexion and almond-shaped brown eyes lent her an almost mystical, elf-like appearance. Despite this, she was clearly business-like and addressed Silver in sharp tones.

"Good morning, challenger. According to the others, you are quite the Trainer. But Koga in particular put your strategy down to a type advantage and no more. You have Typhlosion, Noctowl, Politoed, Wobbuffet, Gengar and Umbreon; none of which have the advantage against Dark types. Thus today we shall really test your mettle. Let's begin. Umbreon, go!" Karen threw her Pokeball into the air, and Umbreon emerged silently, looking as focused and deadly as Silver's own Umbreon.

"Umbreon? In that case, I may as well fight fire with fire. Umbreon, I choose you!" Silver's Umbreon emerged, looking more elegant but less hard-bitten than Karen's.

"Start off with a Confuse Ray," Karen ordered, and her Umbreon's eyes started glowing ethereally.

"Umbreon, Quick Attack before... er... Umbreon can hit you," Silver said, almost putting his head in his hands. This was going to get confusing in more ways than one. Umbreon darted forwards, a trail glowing behind him as he slammed into the foe. "Nice one! Now, try a Bite attack!" Umbreon turned swiftly and grabbed the back leg of the enemy in his sharp teeth.

"Umbreon... _my_ Umbreon... Faint Attack!" Karen sighed in annoyance. Karen's Umbreon vanished and the teeth of Silver's Umbreon clashed together as they bit against nothing. Karen's Umbreon suddenly reappeared and butted Silver's Umbreon, knocking him forwards so he was face-down in the dirt.

"OK, enough's enough. Umbreon, return. It's not that you weren't still ready to battle, it's that it was more confusing than I anticipated. Noctowl, go! Take up the baton!" Umbreon was replaced on the field by Noctowl, who flapped in front of Silver in readiness.

"Thank goodness. I couldn't return my Umbreon, so I had to rely on you to do it. Let's put that embarrassing instance behind us and start this battle in earnest. Umbreon, Sand Attack!" Karen snapped.

"Umb... I mean, Noctowl, Fly above it!" Noctowl hovered just out of reach as the sand arced underneath him harmlessly. "Good! Now, Fly!" Noctowl spiralled down towards Umbreon, ready to fight, whilst Karen gave her own orders.

"Umbreon, Faint Attack again!" Noctowl stopped inches above the ground as his target evaporated into thin air, and before Silver could warn him otherwise Umbreon had leapt in from behind and landed on top of him, using his own weight to push Noctowl into the dirt. "Excellent! Now, Bite whilst he's trapped!" Umbreon snapped his teeth around Noctowl's crest, tugging at it painfully as Noctowl hooted in pain.

"Hit him with a Confusion to throw him off!" Silver ordered, and Noctowl's eyes and crest glowed blue as he tried to grip Umbreon in Psychic power.

"Good, he's forgotten his types! Now's the time to hit him with another Faint Attack!" Karen said triumphantly, and Umbreon vanished, the Confusion having no effect. Noctowl hopped to his feet and started shaking the dust off before Umbreon slammed into him again.

"Noctowl, I'm really sorry, I forgot Psychic attacks don't work on Dark Pokemon. Try a Hypnosis," Silver said guardedly, and Noctowl jumped up once again, seeming less focused but still up for battle.

"Hmm... Noctowl can take some punishment, it seems. Sand Attack him so he can't focus on his Hypnosis," Karen ordered, and Umbreon turned around, kicking dust into Noctowl's glowing eyes.

"Noctowl, Fly attack. Be ready for my signal, though," Silver said, and Noctowl flapped his way up into the air again, avoiding the worst of the Sand Attack and preparing to strike back.

"Same as before, Umbreon," Karen said, and Silver hoped that she meant what he thought she meant; another Faint Attack. Sure enough, as soon as Noctowl dived, Umbreon vanished.

"Noctowl, land! And keep your head up!" Silver warned, and Noctowl slowly touched down on the battle-field, gazing every which-way on his strangely malleable neck. As expected, Umbreon appeared from nowhere and slammed into Noctowl viciously; Noctowl, however, had managed to gaze into Umbreon's eyes just as they impacted, and as the Owl Pokemon fell backwards in a dead faint, Umbreon stumbled forwards and collapsed into sleep. "Noctowl, return. You did well. Typhlosion, take advantage of Umbreon's situation!" Typhlosion roared as he emerged and closed in on Umbreon quickly. "Use Strength!" Silver ordered, and Typhlosion gripped the slender Umbreon around the middle, reared up, then slammed his foe into the ground. Typhlosion continued to slam and pound Umbreon even after the Dark Pokemon had fainted, as if he was avenging Noctowl's defeat.

"Umbreon, return. Well done for defeating Noctowl, although I should have predicted the Hypnosis and avoided it. Vileplume, I choose you!" Silver was stunned at her decision. A Grass Pokemon against a Fire Pokemon? It should be a recipe for disaster. "The trick here, Vileplume, is to keep our distance. Use Stun Spore to slow our hulking opponent down," Vileplume shook its heavy head quickly and a sprinkling of glittering orange power floated down towards Typhlosion.

"Typhlosion, Flamethrower the Stun Spore!" Silver ordered, and a wave of fire engulfed the Stun Spore in mid-flight. However, it still continued to fall slowly down after Typhlosion's attack had stopped. "Dodge it with a Quick Attack, fast!" Silver said, and Typhlosion darted out of the way just in time as the powder floated down behind him.

"Just what I predicted! Petal Dance him, Vileplume!" Karen said triumphantly, and a swirling cloud of beautiful, sparkling petals hurtled towards Typhlosion. Silver gasped; he could either stay put and be hit by the Petal Dance, or dodge the Petal Dance and be swamped by Stun Spore.

"Typhlosion, use Flamethrower on Petal Dance to protect yourself!" he suddenly cried, and once again billowing flames roared out from Typhlosion's gullet to consume the petals. Fortunately, this time it worked, and the attack failed to even reach the Fire Pokemon. "Good! Now, Quick Attack!" Typhlosion lumbered forwards on all fours for a second before lancing into a Quick Attack that knocked Vileplume off its stubby feet. The Grass Pokemon struggled back to its feet, favouring its flower-like head and whimpering.

"Don't let that rock you, Vileplume! Another Petal Dance!" Karen barked, and once again a wave of petals rippled towards Typhlosion. This time they were much faster, and slammed into Typhlosion with deceptive force, shoving him backwards; luckily he managed to keep his feet.

"That's showing them! Get ready for a Flamethrower against Vileplume itself this time, but be wary of counter attacks," Silver warned, and Typhlosion closed in cautiously, summoning up the fire from within.

"Vileplume, hit him with Stun Spore before he hits you!" Karen ordered, but Vileplume was stumbling around drunkenly, tripping over once and hurting itself with another whimper.

"Ha! He's Confused himself! Now's your chance!" Silver cried, and Typhlosion pulled his head back before bringing it sharply forwards, unleashing his Flamethrower as he did so. Vileplume was caught in the blaze and knocked off its feet again as it struggled to regain its footing.

"Vileplume, no! Can you continue?" Karen asked, and Vileplume stumbled up, shaking its head as if to say it wasn't able to keep going at all. The Grass Pokemon was certainly in a state; it limped as it walked, and both its body and its elaborate head were severely burned and blackened by the flames. Silver thought it a great triumph of the creature to keep going at all. "Well, use Moonlight, then! Before you faint!" Suddenly, the bright morning sky outside went completely black. A beam of pure, milky moonlight shone through the window and bathed Vileplune, who glowed as it absorbed it. All of a sudden it was daytime again, and Vileplume looked ready for battle again.

"Interesting move," Silver said, hoping to stall her whilst he adapted to the sudden changes in light.

"Thank you. It is one of Vileplume's specialties. Vileplume, now! Whilst they're off-guard! Stun Spore again!" Vileplume hopped forwards, dangerously close to Typhlosion as it made sure that this time its attack hit on target. Typhlosion roared as the spores sapped his strength and made it difficult to move, falling back onto all fours and shuddering.

"Typhlosion, Vileplume's right in front of you! Lunge forwards and grab it with a Strength attack!" Silver encouraged, taking advantage of Vileplume's proximity. Typhlosion grabbed wildly for Vileplume with his aching paws, and managed to get a firm grip on part of the pollen-stuffed petals that made up the creature's head. Drawing Vileplume in close to his chest, he roared painfully and crushed Vileplume to him in a bear hug. Vileplume struggled weakly in his grip.

"Quick, Vileplume! You can take advantage of his closeness too, with a Petal Dance straight to the face!" Karen cried, and petals swarmed out of the top of Vileplume's head, swirling around Typhlosion as they battered him heavily. The battle was still firmly in the balance, something which Silver hoped to address with his next command.

"Typhlosion, Flamethrower Vileplume as hard as you can! And turn up the power of your neck-flames too, to burn away the Petal Dance!" Silver took a deep breath as Typhlosion struggled to put his scheme into action. Suddenly, the neck-ruff of flames roared into power, growing larger and brighter, incinerating the swirling petals until only a few sad, blackened cinders floated around him. He finished the job by bathing the captured but struggling Vileplume in fire from his mouth. For a full five seconds Typhlosion kept up the barrage, before weakening and letting go, falling backwards as he struggled to regain his breath and equilibrium. Vileplume, on the other hand, had no chance of reclaiming either, a fact which Karen was not slow to pick up on.

"Vileplume, return. You did exceptionally well in catching Typhlosion unawares. Gengar, it's up to you!" The Ghost Pokemon appeared, grinning viciously as it contemplated Typhlosion.

"Typhlosion, come back. You got two victories, so well done. Have a nice rest. I would send out Gengar, but I know how that would end up, so it's time for you to resume your battle, Umbreon!" Umbreon appeared again, and seemed to have recovered somewhat from his opponent's vicious attacks. Karen gave a grim laugh.

"So you do have good knowledge of type advantages. Something that I will doubtless pay for. Gengar, Shadow Ball!" Gengar created and hurled a Shadow Ball in double-quick time, but Umbreon solidly weathered it and shook the last crackle of lightning from his thin tail before returning Gengar's gaze insolently.

"Umbreon, Faint Attack!" Silver cried, and Umbreon charged towards Gengar before vanishing completely.

"Gengar, Curse!" Karen cried wildly, not knowing exactly what effect it was going to have. Umbreon was suddenly forced into visibility, a shock which caused him to stumble and fail in his attack, but Gengar had also taken a physical penalty for the Curse; his grin slightly diminished as his health was drained slightly.

"Another unexpected manoeuvre. Try and see if a Bite attack will have any effect," Silver said, and Umbreon raced towards Gengar, his teeth glinting.

"Gengar, Hypnosis! Then Dream Eater!" Karen said forbiddingly, and Gengar's eyes glowed maliciously as it bombarded Umbreon with mental powers. Umbreon's attack slowed to a halt as he fell asleep, and Silver had to look away as Gengar closed in. However, he heard a hiss of pain and annoyance, and turned back to see that Gengar's Dream Eater wasn't working against Umbreon.

"Who's forgotten their types now?" Silver teased Karen, but she didn't rise to the bait.

"A mere bagatelle. Umbreon is still asleep, and I have more attacks at my disposal. Gengar, Shadow Ball!" Gengar slammed another Shadow Ball into Umbreon, this time aiming for the head, but still the Dark Pokemon did not wake up. "Night Shade, let's go!" Rippling, crackling bolts of darkness pounded Umbreon viciously, and luckily Umbreon chose that time to be stirred from his slumber. Umbreon shook himself from head to tail, then stood firm and dissipated the Night Shade attack with his solid stance.

"Good one, Umbreon! Let's show Gengar what we can do! Faint Attack again!" Umbreon merely stood still for a moment, then vanished.

"Gengar, Curse! No, wait... that will hurt you anyway. Night Shade, all around the room!" Karen cried, and Gengar span on the spot, blasting rays of darkness in every direction. Umbreon, however, reappeared behind him, and launched into a vicious barrage of bites and kicks that sent the Ghost reeling. "Gengar, Spite!" Karen said as Gengar got to his feet, and the Ghost Pokemon rose up in front of Umbreon like a magnificent evil shadow, letting a grim cackle ring around the room as he extracted some invisible energy from Umbreon. Umbreon, however, looked just as normal when the effect faded, and looked at Silver for instruction.

"Er... OK. Umbreon, hit him with another Faint Attack!" Silver said, hoping to take advantage of what he thought to be a failed attack. Umbreon started trotting towards Gengar, but suddenly stopped, eyes wide. "Umbreon, what's wrong?" Silver asked, and Umbreon shook his head vigorously. "Don't you want to do Faint Attack? _Can't_ you?" Silver suddenly realised what Gengar's attack had done; made it impossible for Umbreon to use Faint Attack again. "Use Bite, then. Can you still do that?" he asked, and Umbreon nodded, leaping in to attack Gengar.

"Gengar, hit Umbreon with Night Shade!" Karen said as Umbreon sped towards Gengar, and powerful black bolts of sizzling energy blasted from Gengar's eyes again, striking Umbreon hard.

"Come on, Umbreon! You can work through it!" Silver encouraged, and Umbreon gritted its teeth as it struggled forwards through the beams, finally shrugging off their power and jumping at Gengar, snapping his teeth and grabbing one of Gengar's pointy ears. Gengar hissed in pain and tried to blast Umbreon with more Night Shade to dislodge him, but Umbreon released his ear and dropped down to bite his tail. Gengar tried to turn around and hit his opponent, but Umbreon swung him around by the tail before slamming him into the ground triumphantly.

"Gengar, return. Murkrow, you'll show them that without a type advantage we'll be much tougher to beat," Karen released a crow-like Pokemon who looked like he was wearing a top-hat as he landed, his bulbous beak opening to let out a derisive caw.

"Umbreon, are you OK to keep going, or do you want a rest?" Umbreon stood firm again, which Silver presumed to confirm the latter. "Great! Hit Murkrow with a Quick Attack!"

"Murkrow, Faint Attack!" Karen cried, and just as Umbreon was about to impact Murkrow vanished, reappearing above him and diving down into a pecking, clawing attack. This, combined with the momentum of his failed Quick Attack, caused Umbreon to stumble and fall. Murkrow perched on top of him cheekily, spread his wings and unmistakably laughed in his cawing voice. "Murkrow, Peck!" Karen ordered, and Murkrow stopped laughing and started rapping his beak against Umbreon's head, making Umbreon squeal with pain.

"Umbreon, Bite Murkrow's foot and drag him to the floor!" Silver commanded, and Umbreon's head whipped up as his teeth latched onto Murkrow's leg. Murkrow screeched and tried to fly away, but Umbreon got to his feet quickly and dug his claws into the ground, pulling as hard as he could.

"Murkrow, stop resisting! You're only making it hurt even more! He's open for a Peck!" Murkrow turned around and pecked Umbreon on the nose, causing the Dark Pokemon to let go and withdraw, nursing its injuries. "Good, now hit him with a Wing Attack!" Murkrow rose up into the air before dropping back down, his wings glowing.

"Umbreon, Sand Attack, up into the air!" Silver countered swiftly, and Umbreon scattered a cloud of dust and sand into the diving Murkrow's path, so he could no longer see where he was going. It worked even better than expected, because Murkrow was unable to judge when to pull out of his dive and slammed to the floor.

"Murkrow, shake it off and get back up!" Karen encouraged, and Murkrow hopped to his feet in readiness. "Good! Now, another Faint Attack is in order, I believe!" Murkrow hovered in the air for a moment, flapping his dark wings, before vanishing from sight.

"Umbreon, use Quick Attack to dart around everywhere so Murkrow can't hit you!" Silver said, ready this time. Umbreon was a black and yellow blur as he shot around the battle-field, his silvery trail glowing brightly behind him. As Silver had planned, Umbreon stuck to no pattern or reason, so Murkrow was eventually forced to reappear in defeat.

"A sound tactic. But dive down for a Wing Attack again!" Karen ordered, and Murkrow plummeted down, his wings glowing as he sped towards the now-stationary Umbreon.

"Umbreon, Sand Attack! And get ready to dive in and Bite Murkrow when he hits the floor!" Silver cried, and Umbreon pivoted again and kicked some sand into Murkrow's face.

"Ha! We've got them now, Murkrow! Faint Attack, in mid-air!" Murkrow's dive continued for a second before he vanished away from the sand stream, reappearing behind Umbreon and slamming into him. Umbreon leapt back to his feet angrily as Murkrow cawed mockingly at him.

"Umbreon, Quick Attack! Then Bite his wing as hard as you can!" Umbreon hurtled into a charge, knocking Murkrow backwards and forcing him to spread his wings to stabilise himself. Umbreon leapt over Murkrow and bit his wing joint from behind; causing Murkrow pain and being out of reach simultaneously. Murkrow cawed and struggled until Karen shouted,

"Wing Attack! Then he'll release you!"

"Umbreon, let go!" Silver just managed to cry as Murkrow's wings began to glow again; Umbreon recoiled just in time. "Good! Now, Quick Attack from behind!" Umbreon jumped forwards again with unmatched speed, pushing Murkrow forwards and standing on top of him to ensure no further dissent. Murkrow cawed weakly once or twice, then fell still.

"Murkrow, return. Houndoom, finish off this battle for me, one way or the other!" Karen boomed, and the ferocious dog-like Dark and Fire Pokemon appeared with a spine-chilling howl.

"Umbreon, can you keep going? I know it's a lot to ask..." Silver said, but Umbreon, although tired, looked fit and ready to battle yet again, standing against his opposite number bravely.

"Umbreon's all tired and weak now, Houndoom. Finish him off quickly with a Crunch attack," Karen gave the first command, and Houndoom padded forwards with a snarl, opening his vicious jaws wide.

"Umbreon, Quick Attack! Try and hit Houndoom from the side!" Silver said. Umbreon charged forwards, changed direction, and head-butted Houndoom from the left; Houndoom, however, was ready and waiting, and caught Umbreon in his jaws as he made to move away. He had fastened his teeth around Umbreon's front leg, and was shaking his head savagely to do the maximum possible damage. "Umbreon, kick some sand into Houndoom's eyes with your other paw!" Silver ordered desperately, and Umbreon scattered some dust into Houndoom's eyes, miraculously forcing him backwards. Houndoom scrabbled at his eyes with his paws for a second before clearing them of sand, but Silver had achieved his objective of freeing Umbreon.

"If Umbreon won't go down gracefully, we shall have to force it down. Flamethrower, Houndoom! And make it as wide as possible!" Houndoom barked in assent and sprayed out a wall of flames. Umbreon couldn't go left, right, under or above them, as Karen's order had made Houndoom fashion an unbreakable, inescapable net of fire. Umbreon stood defiantly as the flames wrapped around him, battering and burning him mercilessly. When they flickered out, Umbreon staggered forwards for a moment before collapsing in a heap.

"You did great, Umbreon. You took down Gengar and Murkrow all by yourself! I'm proud of you. Meanwhile, Politoed, you can finish Houndoom off," Silver released Politoed, hoping to capitalise on the type advantage. Karen laughed loudly.

"Oh, yes, I expected you to do that! Ah well, I must plough on. Houndoom is my strongest Pokemon, and will not be beaten easily even by a Water type," Houndoom howled again as his Trainer encouraged him, so Silver did some cheer-leading of his own.

"Remember in the Radio Tower, Politoed? You fought and beat a Houndoom before you evolved. And now you're even more powerful, so this should be a cinch," Politoed raised his clenched fist silently.

"We shall never be easy to defeat. Houndoom, use Pursuit!" Karen ordered, and Houndoom snarled as he charged into battle.

"Politoed, Hypnosis! Whilst he's running straight at you!" Silver said quickly, and soothing energies emanated from Politoed's belly swirl as Houndoom moved ever closer. Houndoom stopped dead for a second, blinking dumbly, then it shook its head with a savage snarl and leapt forwards agilely, slamming into Politoed and knocking him squarely off his feet.

"Crunch attack, whilst he's down!" Karen barked, and Houndoom leant down to bite Politoed's neck and try to render him unconscious.

"Politoed, time for Waterfall again! They won't expect it!" Silver said eagerly, convinced that this would catch them unawares. Politoed flipped over so he was facing the floor, then blasted a jet of water out of his mouth which propelled him upwards towards the ceiling. Houndoom was thrown up into the air as well, snapping and whining before falling heavily to the floor.

"Houndoom, look up! Flamethrower!" Karen said urgently, having spotted Politoed's decent; the frog Pokemon was encircled in a globe of water as it fell towards Houndoom. Houndoom unleashed a blistering but precise blast of fire from his mouth, which was so intensely hot that it managed to evaporate away most of Politoed's watery shield, rendering the attack useless. Politoed landed close by, not hurt by the attack but not having hurt Houndoom either.

"Politoed, Body Slam! See if we can Paralyse him!" Silver said, wanting Houndoom to be rooted firmly in place when Politoed used his Surf attack. Politoed jumped upwards and fell towards Houndoom, spread-eagled.

"Houndoom, dodge to the side!" Karen said, a simple order but nonetheless effective; Houndoom rolled out of the way of the attack and was unharmed. "Now, Flamethrower again!"

"Politoed, Waterfall again!" Politoed was barely singed by the Flamethrower as he propelled himself out of its way with a jet of pressurised water; the flames roiled harmlessly beneath. However, Politoed didn't stop there, and this time he managed to collide with Houndoom as he dropped back to the floor, the water swirling around him. Houndoom rolled away, yelping, but at a word from Karen he was up on his feet again.

"Try a Roar, and then a Flamethrower. See is that works," Karen eventually decided. Houndoom raised his head and let out the most eerie, chilling and ear-splittingly loud howl that Silver had ever heard. For a minute it looked like Politoed would faint merely from the shock and terror, but he somehow managed to keep his bearings. This howling attack had done more against Silver, in fact, incapacitating him so much that he wasn't in time to give Politoed another order before the Flamethrower hit home. Politoed gave a cry and stumbled backwards as the flames washed around him, and Houndoom was panting heavily in excitement as it let the attack die out, watching Politoed through his beady, vicious eyes. "Good, Houndoom! Now we must finish Politoed off with a Crunch attack to the head!" Karen said stridently, and Houndoom bounded forwards to inflict the killing blow.

"Politoed, use Surf!" Silver wildly played his trump card, seeing that Houndoom's attack could win the battle for Karen. Politoed built up the wave of water around it with what seemed like painful slowness to Silver as he watched from the sidelines. Houndoom was just leaping in for the bite when the wave, with Politoed atop it, reared up and sped forwards, connecting with Houndoom rather than the other way around. Houndoom yelped as he was battered by the swirling currents, which dragged him brutally along until the wave petered out, and Politoed was left standing close by, panting with exertion. Houndoom raised his head to let out a forlorn howl as the water seeped in a puddle around him on the ground, but only managed a gurgle as he coughed up more water. His eyes rolled and he toppled over sideways, defeated.

"Houndoom, no! You were exceptional nonetheless, my friend. Once again Silver wins through the type advantage, although I must admit that skill played a part too," she managed to smile and extended a hand to Silver after recalling Houndoom.

"Thank you, Karen. Your Pokemon were really strong and tough to beat," Silver replied, meaning every word, but Karen smiled wistfully.

"Strong Pokemon... weak Pokemon... these pathetic descriptions are useless labels invented by those too blind to see the truth. The real power of a Pokemon comes from within. You understand this. You use your favourites to battle, as I do. You are a worthy contender for the Champion. He shall be waiting tomorrow. Oh, before you leave... The Champion does not allow spectators. He says that only the Trainer and his Pokemon are allowed to be there," Karen said over her shoulder as she left. Silver looked up into the stands, disappointed, but his supporters had already left. Puzzled, he descended the official-looking stairs and at the bottom was immediately surrounded by his fans.

"Silver, you were fantastic! That was one of the best battles I've ever seen! Inspiring!" Scott said, and it looked as though he had wiped several tears off his face just moments before.

"I don't know much about Pokemon battles, but that was incredible, in my eyes. You deserve this battle tomorrow, honey. You really do," his mother hugged him close.

"Chiko!" Chikorita jumped into his arms and tickled him with his vines happily.

"Thanks, guys. Thanks, Chikorita..." Silver tickled the leaf on Chikorita's head, and the Grass Pokemon squealed happily.

"Well done, Silver. You and your Pokemon were brilliant. Even I can't fault you," Crystal said, embracing him.

"Wow. You can't fault me? This is a red letter day indeed. I don't need the title of Champion anymore. I've got you to admit that I did well!" Silver joked. She smiled and punched him good-naturedly on the shoulder.

"Don't be silly. You know I've always said you're a great Trainer," she said, and they walked arm-in-arm back to Silver's room, Anna and Scott trailing behind, forgotten. Silver pondered happily as he strolled along beside Crystal. Tomorrow he would face the greatest Trainer in the world, one on one, as equals. The Champion would be unquestionably the greatest challenge he would ever face, but right now he felt like he could overcome anything.


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 37**

"Just remember that I'll love you no matter what. A Champion or... or a Trainer, I'll love you just the same. I wish you all the luck in the world, honey. I just wish I could be there," Anna said, hugging and kissing her child as if she was never going to see him again.

"I wish you could be in there, too, but rules are rules," Silver lied; he obviously loved all of his supporters and was very grateful to them, but in this final battle he now felt it would be only be right for just him and the Champion to be there.

"I know I've said it loads, Silver, but good luck again. One step further and you'll be Champion, mark my words. I..." Crystal started, then gave up and left Silver after a tight embrace. Togetic squeaked his encouragement from her shoulder.

"Champ in the making... man, in just an hour or two you'll be Champ! It's been great watching your battles. You've inspired me, and I want to really thank you for that as well as for Hypno," Scott indicated the Psychic Pokemon beside him, who nodded once at Silver.

"Thanks to you, Scott, I was able to win at the Johto Gyms. I just hope that Hypno can be payment enough," Silver replied, patting Hypno on the head. "So, are you going to join Crystal and Mum outside in the fresh air?"

"I think I will. So the first thing you see after becoming Champion is a beautiful mountain scene with your friends and family close by. Come on, Hypno," Scott led Hypno away and left the lobby.

"Thanks for all the help," Silver said awkwardly to the attendant, who was still sitting behind her desk.

"It's a pleasure," she replied wryly as Silver walked over to the official-looking steps for the last time. It was incredibly intimidating, knowing that at the top waited the greatest Trainer in the world. How could Silver measure up to him? Yes, he had beaten the Elite Four, but hadn't Bruno said that the Champion was in another league? A Champion would have to have many different types in his team to be a true Pokemon Master, so Silver wouldn't even have an overall type advantage. He steadied his nerves with a deep breath and walked slowly up the steps, wondering what was in store for him. As he emerged in the stadium, he felt strangely calm in the complete silence. The battle-field and the stands were completely bare, except for a single person. He was dressed in the traditional Kanto Pokemon Trainer uniform, wearing predominantly red as well as a baseball cap that obscured his face slightly. Six Pokeballs were at his belt, uncannily mirroring Silver, and he stood at ease at his end of the battle-field.

"Welcome to the final challenge, Silver," the boy said quietly, a smile visible from beneath his cap. "My name is Red. I've been the Pokemon Champion for over three years, and I'm afraid I have no intention of giving up my title today. The rules are pretty complicated; we'll have six one-on-one battles with each of our Pokemon. Whoever wins the most wins the match. If we win three each, we go onto the second round, with the three winners of each side going through. Then we'll randomly pick out of our Pokemon and battle in three one-on-one battles, so it's down to skill and to some extent luck rather than type advantages. Is that OK?"

"Yeah... yeah, that's fine. Um... shall we begin?" Silver replied, his voice surprisingly even but sounding quiet in the cavernous stadium.

"Yes. I'll start off the first round; go, Charizard!" Red hurled his Pokeball into the stadium and a huge, monstrous Fire Pokemon resembling an orange dragon emerged. It was even more formidable than Lance's as it roared and swished its tail back and forth.

"Politoed, I choose you!" Silver cried, releasing Politoed so he started out with the advantage. Politoed, as usual, raised his clenched fist, although he was focused on Charizard intently. Charizard merely stood there in silence as Red waited for Silver to make the first move. "Fine, then. Politoed, Surf!" Water gurgled out of Politoed's mouth as he gradually created a powerful, swirling wave of water.

"Charizard, wait for it..." Red said, and Charizard grunted in response as Politoed and his wave hurtled towards him. "Now! Fly!" Red said quickly, and Charizard beat his massive wings, rising up into the air and hovering above the wave, out of reach.

"Nice tactic, but Politoed, use Hypnosis!" Silver quickly adapted, and Politoed released waves of soothing energy from his stomach from atop the crest of his wave.

"Charizard, Fly, now!" Red ordered, and Charizard folded in his wings so he dropped like a stone, slamming into Politoed but pulling up in time so he didn't even touch the tip of the wave. The wave itself collapsed as Politoed lost control, but he was quickly back on his feet as Charizard circled around him.

"Politoed, I think you can reach Charizard with a Waterfall," Silver said, and Politoed aimed a jet of water at the ground so he was propelled up into the air, surrounding himself with water as he fell.

"Charizard, Dig!" Red said, and Charizard dropped down again with Politoed falling right behind him, although rather than pulling up he released a jet of flames at the ground, making it soft and easy to claw through as he slammed into it. Politoed landed next to the hole, gazing at it worriedly. Silver himself was also taken off-guard; a Charizard that knew Fly and Dig? And one that used them so well?

"Politoed, Waterfall again!" Silver said as the ground started to rumble, and Politoed launched himself up as Charizard burst out of the ground close by, roaring angrily and trying to catch Politoed with his claws.

"Charizard, Flamethrower! And then Fly!" Red said, and Chrizard bathed the falling Politoed in white-hot flames, burning away his watery shield in seconds and battering the frog Pokemon himself. When it deemed the time was right, Charizard launched himself upwards, slamming into the now-dry Politoed from underneath. Politoed cried out and landed painfully on his back as his fall was interrupted, and Charizard settled down close by, snorting its challenge.

"Politoed, are you OK?" Silver asked, and Politoed nodded as he got back on his feet. "Good! Now, try another Surf attack!" Politoed gushed water from his mouth as he prepared the wave again.

"Charizard, Dig! Surf can't hit you if you're underground. In fact, the water may make the ground softer and easier for you to claw through," Red countered quickly, and once again Charizard was lost to sight as he burrowed through the earth. Politoed stopped, stymied, and his wave was halted in place.

"Politoed, direct the wave into the hole! Then Charizard will have to come out!" Silver said, and Politoed complied, skilfully directing the rushing water beneath him into Charizard's burrow. A second later, Charizard burst from the ground like an erupting volcano, roaring as the water swirled around behind him, spraying him with tiny droplets as he soared out of reach. "Now, Body Slam!" Silver hoped to catch Red unawares with this sudden change of tactic, but Red, it appeared, was ready for anything.

"Charizard, Flamethrower Politoed as he leaps up!" Politoed's jump was met with a roaring rush of fire as Charizard swooped in, halting his flight and pushing him back down to earth. He was pinned to the floor as the flames kept washing around him, making the very ground sizzle and steam around him before Charizard left off. "Good! Now, Slash Politoed whilst he's down!" Charizard hunkered down for a landing, baring his sharp claws and preparing to land a critical blow to the prone Politoed.

"Politoed, Waterfall, to the left!" Silver said, and Politoed sprayed himself upwards, catching Charizard full in the stomach on the way and making him veer off-course with a roar of displeasure. Politoed, sensing his chance, sprayed the water around himself again in a liquid globe, toppling back down towards Charizard's unprotected back like a meteor.

"Charizard, loop the loop!" Red said quickly, and Charizard rose up just in time, only getting scraped by Politoed's passage as the frog Pokemon hurtled past. Then the Fire Pokemon completed his loop, and was hovering over Politoed grimly. "Flamethrower!"

"Politoed, look out!" Silver cried, and Politoed just managed to leap out of the way of another stream of fire in time. However, Charizard kept it up, making it follow Politoed around as he leapt, ducked and rolled with all the agility at his disposal.

"Charizard, finish off with another Dig!" Red said as Politoed's back got singed by a particularly close call. Charizard ripped through the ground again with his claws as he delved down beneath it, invisible again. Politoed was panting, and found it painful to move because of his injured back, but he wobbled to his feet anyway.

"Politoed, are you sure you're able to keep going?" Silver said doubtfully, and Politoed responded with a curt nod. "OK, then. Use a Surf attack again, and make it as big as you possibly can," Silver knew that he had to gamble soon, and this was it. This attack would either pull off and be a great success, or it would tax Politoed past the point of endurance. Politoed spat great swirls of water from his mouth, faster and faster as he grew more desperate. The ground was rumbling again as Charizard prepared to make his entrance, and Politoed sweated as water began to cover the entire battle-field. He closed his wide eyes and focused, trying to bring the water under his control. The water began to shift and coalesce slightly, but the Charizard burst up from directly underneath Politoed, unseating him and both slashing with talons and battering with tail as he flew upwards. However, Politoed had partially succeeded, as the water had been collecting towards him just as Charizard attacked; thus, the Fire Pokemon was forced to emerge at the nexus point, having to fly up through a thick layer of water before coming completely free. Charizard hovered uncertainly over the battle-field, shivering as he tried to dislodge every last drop of water. The flame on his tail was slightly less bright after his unintentionally watery emergence, and Silver took this to mean that he was weakening. "Politoed, Hypnosis, now! Charizard's weak!" Silver cried.

"Politoed's weak too, Charizard! One more Flamethrower and he'll be out for the count!" Red said, and Charizard roared as he began to summon the necessary energy within himself. He dived down towards Politoed, fire gushing from his sharp jaws as he flew into the attack, but he found himself getting weaker and weaker as he approached. His wings crumpled and he fell with a thump to the ground, his Flamethrower dying down just as Politoed was hit, and the Fire Pokemon was almost overcome by the desire to sleep. He staggered around stupidly, forcing his eyes to remain open by sheer savagery and strong will. "You can do it, Charizard! Just focus!" Red encouraged him.

"Now's our chance, Politoed! Waterfall!" Silver said, knowing that Politoed didn't have much left in him. Politoed flew up into the air again, boosted by a jet of water, and plummeted down towards Charizard as water swirled around him.

"Charizard, look up! Flamethrower!" Red ordered, and Charizard looked upwards blearily. He opened his mouth, and for a moment Silver thought it was all over; but only a thin sputter of flame burst out, that dissipated as quickly as it had emerged. Politoed collided cleanly with Charizard, dousing him with as much water as possible, and pounding him with his increasingly weakening fists. Charizard staggered backwards as Politoed sprawled, panting, on the floor, and for a horrible moment Silver thought that Charizard had won. However, the huge Fire Pokemon toppled backwards, overcome at long last. "Charizard, return. You win round one, Silver. Your Politoed is very strong, but you cannot use him again unless it comes down to round two. Nidoking, it's your turn!" Red cried, and a huge, spiky, armoured Pokemon emerged, with a massive thick tail and a huge, poisonous horn on his head. Nidoking roared to the heavens as he prepared for battle.

"Politoed, return. You were absolutely fantastic. Nidoking's a half Poison, half Ground type. Poison Pokemon are weak against Psychics, so Wobbuffet, go!"

"Wooooooobuffet!" Wobbuffet slapped his forehead and groaned as he looked at the massive creature he was meant to oppose.

"Wobbuffet, eh? An interesting choice. Wobbuffets cannot fight back, except for Counter or Mirror Coat, in which they rebound the enemy's blows. I think that we have the perfect antidote to Wobbuffet, Nidoking. Horn Drill! Take your time to aim and prepare, though; he cannot fight back," Red simultaneously warned and encouraged his Pokemon, who roared and lowered his head. The horn on his head started spinning, slowly at first but then faster and faster.

"Horn Drill's a physical attack, so get ready to use Counter," Silver said, and Wobbuffet merely groaned and waited out his fate. For what seemed like an eternity, Nidoking merely stood there, occasionally shifting slightly to the left or right to align himself better with Wobbuffet, his horn spinning ever faster and even glowing slightly. Eventually the beast started his earth-shaking charge, moving almost comically slowly at first but getting faster and faster as he rumbled onwards, until he was like an unstoppable, immovable juggernaut hurtling towards the hapless Wobbuffet. Silver thought that it seemed like nothing could get in Nidoking's way and live to tell of it, but he also knew that Wobbuffet had successfully rebounded many seemingly unstoppable attacks, to the despair of the attacker. Faster and faster Nidoking charged, and his steps made the ground crack beneath him. He couldn't change course even if he wanted to, but Wobbuffet was waiting for him with a Counter ready... a split-second before impact, Wobbuffet glowed red. Silver sighed with relief, but his sigh caught in his throat at what happened next. Nidoking's horn actually battered its way through Wobbuffet's 'shield', and struck dead on target. Wobbuffet was the one hurled backwards, and when he landed he had fainted completely. "Wobbuffet, no!" Silver cried, running over to examine his Pokemon before returning him.

"Some attacks are so powerful that even moves like Counter cannot work against them. Horn Drill takes a while to prepare and is difficult to get on target, but when it hits, nothing can survive it. Well done, Nidoking, you were perfect," Red said, withdrawing Nidoking, who roared in triumph one last time. "Venusaur, it's your turn!" The bulky reptilian Venusaur emerged, bellowing loudly as its beautiful yet deadly petals unfolded on its back.

"Typhlosion, I believe this is just your sort of battle. Go!" Silver released Typhlosion, who stood opposite Venusaur unflinchingly and roared straight back at him, his neck-ruff burning brightly.

"A wise choice. I have heard many good things about Typhlosion, but he would do well to defeat Venusaur even with a type advantage. Venusaur, Razor Leaf!" Red ordered, and immediately a volley of sharp-edged leaves were blasted towards Typhlosion.

"Typhlosion, Flamethrower them!" Typhlosion released a blast of fire that consumed the Razor Leaves, turning them into ash instantly on impact. "You'll have to do better than that," Silver said, seeing if Red would be provoked.

"I shall do my very best to accommodate that order," Red said with a smile, and Silver knew he was too clever to be riled up. "Venusaur, Vine Whip!" Thick vines erupted from Venusaur's back, snaking towards Typhlosion with incredible power. Before Silver could order anything, one of the vines had wrapped around Typhlosion's torso, lifting him off the ground, whilst the other was beating every inch of him it could.

"Typhlosion, use Flamethrower against Venusaur's vines! But not too strong," he said, and when Typhlosion looked at him questioningly, he winked. Typhlosion turned back to Venusaur and sent a small ripple of flames from his mouth, scattering them over the vine that encircled him. It loosened as Venusaur bellowed with pain, and Typhlosion sharply bit into it. Venusaur retracted his vines slightly, allowing Typhlosion to land, and the creature looked at Red for guidance.

"He must have had a tactic up his sleeve when saying not to put too much power into the Flamethrower... so Razor Leaf him again, and follow up with another Vine Whip!" Red said, hoping to disrupt Silver's plan. Razor Leaves once again sped through the air like deadly boomerangs, the thick vines following in their wake.

"Typhlosion, Flamethrower directly down the centre, so you burn the leaves! And then grab Venusaur's vines and use Strength!" Silver said, adapting his plan for the situation. Typhlosion released a blast of flames from his mouth, incinerating the leaves, and after being brutally battered once or twice he managed to grab each vine. Then, setting his feet as firmly as he could, he started to tug on them, drawing Venusaur in.

"Venusaur, resist it!" Red said, and Venusaur too dug his heels in. It was a pure contest of strength as Typhlosion and Venusaur pulled their separate ways, but the Strength attack was working in Typhlosion's favour and Venusaur was being wrenched towards him, leaving gouges in the ground where his feet dug into it. "Venusaur, keep pulling!" Red said, and Venusaur redoubled his efforts.

"You too, Typhlosion! Once we get Venusaur close we can finish this!" Silver encouraged, and Typhlosion let out a choked snarl as he focused all the power in his limbs. As Venusaur drew closer and closer, Red suddenly cried,

"We're close enough now! Leech Seed!" A volley of seeds popped from the top of Venusaur's flower, hurtling down towards Typhlosion like artillery shells. Typhlosion did his best to burn a few up with his flames, but three managed to connect, and immediately tendrils emerged from each seed, lashing themselves around the Fire Pokemon and sapping his strength. Typhlosion shuddered as Venusaur grew stronger and stronger, pulling with renewed vigour every second, and eventually he was forced to let go.

"Don't worry, Typhlosion! Just concentrate on burning off those seeds!" Silver said worriedly. Typhlosion diverted his gaze from Venusaur and started ripping and biting at the tendrils, spraying them with fire and casting them aside as they withered. Eventually he stood strong again, the Leech Seeds having been dealt with, but they had done their job.

"Good one, Venusaur. Hit him with a Vine Whip again!" Red said, and the vines snaked out from Venusaur again, seeking to beat and pummel Typhlosion as hard as they could.

"Typhlosion, Quick Attack! Straight through the centre!" Typhlosion fell forwards onto all fours and charged forwards, easily ducking Venusaur's vines and slamming into the Grass Pokemon himself, sending him stumbling backwards on his stumpy legs.

"Venusaur, keep going with those vines!" Red said urgently, and the vines writhed again as they managed to fasten themselves around Typhlosion. "Good! Now, keep him tight in your grip and prepare for a Solarbeam!" Venusaur's vines tightened as they encircled Typhlosion, and glittering energy was being gathered to the centre of Venusaur's flower as he geared up for a mega-powerful attack. Typhlosion roared and squealed as he beat against the vines, but they were just too strong, and they were sapping his power with their vice-like grip.

"Typhlosion, Venusaur needs more time to prepare! Flamethrower the vines! Don't hold back this time!" Typhlosion reared back his head then brought it sharply forwards again, unleashing a fiery blast at his captors that was powered by desperation. Venusaur's eyes closed with the pain, and as Typhlosion continued to thrash and writhe he let the Fire Pokemon loose, concentrating on his Solarbeam. "Great! Now, Quick Attack!" Typhlosion slipped away from the vines, and connected with Venusaur just as the Solarbeam was released. Such a close impact created a small explosion which hurled both Venusaur and Typhlosion back, both having suffered some damage from the beam.

"Venusaur, are you OK?" Red asked, and Venusaur rumbled his assent, climbing back onto his feet.

"What about you, Typhlosion?" Typhlosion reared up onto his back legs and his neck-ruff burst back into life in answer.

"Venusaur, try another Leech Seed, then Razor Leaf! Show Typhlosion the power of a Grass bombardment!" Venusaur bellowed and released a spray of seeds and a wave of flashing leaves at Typhlosion. If he burned the leaves with his Flamethrower, the seeds would land on him, and vice versa .

"Typhlosion, burn up the Leech Seed! That way Venusaur doesn't get any stronger!" Silver said, and Typhlosion raised his head and used Flamethrower on the falling seeds, destroying them completely. However, the Razor Leaves struck at the same time, hitting Typhlosion in the stomach one after the other with incredible impact. Typhlosion fell back, winded and snarling.

"Batter Typhlosion off his feet with a Vine Whip, then try a Solarbeam again!" Red cried, and Venusaur's vines once again sliced forwards into the fray.

"Typhlosion, hit Venusaur with a Quick Attack!" Silver countered, hoping that his plan would work. Typhlosion darted forwards, but the vines were expecting him, and they grabbed him less than a foot away from Venusaur, holding him up off the ground as a living target for the Solarbeam. Silver knew it would all be over if the Solarbeam hit, but everything was going according to plan. "Typhlosion, you're close enough to use Flamethrower on Venusaur himself!" he shouted, and Typhlosion unleashed a final, powerful wave of fire that engulfed Venusaur completely, swirling around him and even starting to shrivel up his petals. The vines withdrew as Typhlosion kept up the barrage, keeping it going for as long as was possible before collapsing backwards, out of breath and panting. Venusaur had also collapsed, although he, unlike Typhlosion, had fainted. Charred, burned and defeated, he was withdrawn by Red, just as Typhlosion bellowed in victory.

"I should have seen that coming. I am sorry, Venusaur, but you did well anyway. Dragonite, go!" The huge Dragon Pokemon replaced Venusaur on the field of battle.

"Typhlosion, return. Another great battle there. Noctowl, go and take out Dragonite!" Silver released Noctowl, who trilled in readiness as he prepared for the fight.

"This shouldn't be too difficult, Dragonite. Start off with a Slam!" Dragonite flew into the attack, whipping his tail around like a deadly battering ram.

"Noctowl, Fly! You've got the advantage of being smaller and quicker than Dragonite here, so we have to capitalise on that, OK?" Silver said, and Noctowl hooted as he dodged Dragonite's swinging tail by mere inches, flying directly upwards.

"Dragonite can fly too, Silver. You won't escape us that way! Dragonite, fly up and use Blizzard on Noctowl!" Dragonite jumped up and his small wings somehow managed to support his bulky frame as he rose, a swirling gust of bitter wind and chips of ice flooding from his wide open mouth.

"Noctowl, drop back down as fast as you can!" Once again Noctowl managed to avoid the attack by inches, spiralling down as quickly as he could as the Blizzard raged behind him. "Good dodge! Hit Dragonite with a Hypnosis!"

"Dragonite, Slam again!" Red ordered, and Dragonite plunged down, his tail ready to batter Noctowl. Noctowl's eyes glowed with power as he bombarded Dragonite with Psychic waves, slipping the suggestion to sleep into his mind surreptitiously and powerfully. Dragonite's descent quickened as his wings crumpled, and he snored loudly as he slammed earthshakingly onto the floor, asleep.

"Yes! Good one, Noctowl! Now, Peck attack!" Noctowl fluttered down and landed on Dragonite's neck, pecking the back of his head for all he was worth.

"Dragonite, wake up, quickly!" Red urged, and somehow Dragonite responded to his Trainer's voice, rising up and throwing off Noctowl, seemingly unharmed.

"Hmm... Peck didn't seem to do much good. Wait for his attack, and we'll see if we can counter it," Silver suggested, and Noctowl flapped in front of him silently.

"Dragonite, try another Slam and see how they counter it," Red proposed, and Dragonite once again swung his tail around to slam into Noctowl. The impact would be terrible, so Silver hastily shouted,

"Noctowl, halt him with a Confusion!" Noctowl's eyes and crest glowed with blue power and Dragonite's charge was stopped cold as the Psychic energy held him tightly in its grip. The waves of Psychic power proceeded to smash against him with as much power as Noctowl could muster, and the Owl Pokemon finished things off by slamming the Dragon Pokemon onto the ground forcefully. Yet once again Dragonite rose up, as ready for battle as ever.

"I hate to say it, Silver, but sometimes Pokemon are so outmatched that there's nothing you can do. Dragonite is too resilient and powerful for Noctowl to defeat at his current level," Red said regretfully.

"Noctowl can defeat anyone he wants, right Noctowl?" Noctowl hooted in response, spreading his wings angrily. Red sighed.

"I must finish this quickly, then. Dragonite, Thunderbolt!" Dragonite's antennae throbbed with electric power as they blasted energy towards Noctowl.

"Noctowl, do anything you can to dodge! Aerial manoeuvres and dodges!" Silver said desperately, and Noctowl used all of his skill to sneak past a volley of powerful bolts, although Dragonite never let him stop moving for a second.

"Dragonite, you have plenty of stored-up power! Keep going until you nail him!" Red encouraged, and the Thunderbolts flashed out quicker and quicker, hemming Noctowl in and forcing him to use his most daring repertoire to avoid being zapped. Eventually, inevitably, a bolt just grazed him, slowing him up so another could hit him directly. "Good shot! Pump up the juice!" Red cried, and Dragonite kept up the barrage, constantly hammering Noctowl with electric power as he spiralled towards the ground. "Now, stop. See if Noctowl still wants to fight,"

"Noctowl, are you OK?" Silver asked, already knowing the answer. Noctowl was crouched on the floor, his head bowed, and surges of electricity ran through him a couple of times. He tried to flap his wings, but couldn't; Dragonite's attack had Paralysed him. He managed one small hoot, as if to say that he'd fight to the end. "That's the way to show him! Why don't you try another Hypnosis, and we can see where we can go from there," Silver said, and Noctowl's head rose jerkily as he struggled to fix Dragonite with his imposing stare.

"Dragonite, finish him off with a Hyper Beam. But not too strong; he's no threat to us now," Red said with a heavy sigh. Dragonite gathered the power for a long few seconds as Noctowl sent out juddering, unfocused bursts of Hypnosis, before a bright beam slammed down and hit the Owl Pokemon squarely. When the glare died down, Noctowl had predictably fainted.

"Noctowl, return. You did really well; I don't think anybody could have done a better job against such a powerful opponent," Silver encouraged, before looking back at Red in askance.

"Dragonite, come back. You were as good as usual. I'm sorry for that, Silver," he added as he returned his Dragonite.

"Don't worry. This is a Pokemon match for the Champion title, after all. It would be insulting to both of us if either of us held back," Silver replied, and Red smiled.

"I'm glad you see it like that. Blastoise, go! My oldest friend and companion," he said for Silver's benefit as the turtle-like Pokemon emerged with a throaty bellow. "Me and Blastoise met when he was just a tiny Squirtle in Professor Oak's lab in Pallet Town, my home. Just like you and Typhlosion,"

"Here's one of my oldest friends in return. Gengar, I choose you!" The Ghost Pokemon grinned and cackled as he landed. "Gengar, let's start off with a Night Shade!"

"Blastoise, Withdraw!" Red ordered, and the black bolts from Gengar's eyes crackled into nothingness against Blastoise's shell as he pulled his head and limbs inside.

"Hmm... a good defence. Let's test and see just how good it is! Shadow Ball!" Silver said, and Gengar hurled a throbbing orb of darkness at Blastoise's shell. Once again, it sparkled into nonexistence as it smashed against Blastoise's shell, with no apparent ill effects to Blastoise himself. "Er... well, we'll just have to wait for his next move. You can't hypnotise him, after all, because his head's inside his shell," Silver said, and Gengar relaxed as he waited for his foe to respond.

"Blastoise, Skull Bash! Then get ready for a Bite straight after!" Red said, and Blastoise's arms, legs and head popped back into visibility as he charged towards Gengar, head lowered to deliver a powerful blow.

"Ha! Now we have him, Gengar! Skull Bash is a move that can't hurt you, as it's Normal type. Let Blastoise run through you, then turn and give him a Night Shade," Silver ordered, and Gengar stood ready ad Blastoise thundered towards him, unbowed despite the huge size of his opponent. Blastoise lowered his head even more sharply a second before contact, but, as predicted, he sailed straight through Gengar. What Silver hadn't predicted was that Red knew this was going to happen, and as soon as he'd moved through the Ghost Pokemon Blastoise whipped around and grabbed him between his horned jaws for a Bite attack. Gengar hissed in pain as Blastoise increased his grip, and tried to writhe free. Unfortunately, Blastoise had bitten Gengar around the back, so he couldn't see Blastoise's eyes to hypnotise him, or blast him with Night Shade.

"Good, Blastoise! Now, throw Gengar upwards!" Red said, and Blastoise flipped his head up, tossing Gengar into the air. "Now, Hydro Pump!" Two cannons emerged from Blastoise's shoulders, and an extremely powerful jet of water burst from each one.

"Gengar, try and twist in mid-air, and stop Hydro Pump with Night Shade!" Gengar shifted his weight and managed to turn so he was facing Blastoise, and the dark beams from his eyes smashed against the water jets even as he sailed gracefully back to the floor.

"Keep up the power, Blastoise! He can't resist forever!" Red encouraged, and Blastoise grunted his assent, unmoving but focusing on Gengar as he tried to force his Hydro Pump through the Night Shade. It was clear that soon it would do just that, so Silver cried,

"Gengar, Shadow Ball Blastoise! Right down between the water jets!" Gengar hastily created a Shadow Ball as the Hydro Pump grew closer and closer, battering past his continuous Night Shade, and tossed it down the middle, straight towards Blastoise. It hammered home right on Blastoise's chest, and the turtle Pokemon stumbled backwards with a grunt of pain. "Great shot! Now, try and get in close!" Gengar stopped the Night Shade, but before Hydro Pump could reach him he was gone, using his legendary quickness to close in on Blastoise and dodge the water jets as best he could.

"Blastoise, Withdraw again!" Red ordered, and the Hydro Pump stopped as Blastoise pulled himself into his impregnable shell. Gengar stopped next to it, stymied. "Wait for Gengar's next move, Blastoise," he continued, and Blastoise was completely silent within his shell.

"His shell has openings for where the head can come out, Gengar! Aim a Shadow Ball into one of them and see what happens!" Silver cried, and Gengar dodged in front of the hole from which Blastoise's head would emerge, creating a crackling Shadow Ball in readiness.

"Blastoise, quickly! Hydro Pump!" Red said urgently, and all of a sudden a great gush of water blasted out of every hole in Blastoise's shell, and Gengar was hit head-on by one of the huge jets. "Nice one! Now, try a Bite attack again, whilst he's reeling!" Blastoise jumped to his quickly-emerging feet as he charged towards Gengar again.

"Gengar, are you OK?" Silver asked, and although Gengar seemed dazed by the unexpected attack he wasn't out for the count by far. "Good! Quickly, Hypnosis! Blastoise is a living target!" Gengar set his feet wide, again standing firm as the ground rumbled beneath him, a herald of Blastoise's attack. A bombardment of mental energy surged from Gengar's eyes, surrounding and penetrating Blastoise's mind, soothing and calming it, making it believe that it was drowsy... so drowsy, in fact, that falling asleep now was the only option. Blastoise fell forwards with an earth-shaking rumble, and ironically withdrew his arms, legs and head into his shell as he fell asleep. Silver slapped his forehead. "Oh, great... I didn't expect that. Can you still do a Dream Eater?" he asked, and Gengar gave him a quick nod before darting forwards, jumping up and landing on top of Blastoise's shell. He leant down, placed his hands on the shell and starting to extract Blastoise's energy, funnelling it into himself to power future attacks. After a few seconds of this, Blastoise gave a great, echoing roar from inside his shell, and burst out of it angrily, throwing Gengar off his back.

"How are you, Blastoise?" Red asked, and Blastoise bellowed that he was still ready for battle. "Great! Now, Hydro Pump again!" The cannons emerged once more and sprayed their deadly jets of water at the stationary Gengar.

"Gengar, Night Shade, until I can figure something else out!" Silver said desperately; just in time, as the Hydro Pump stopped mere feet away from Gengar, halted by the dark rays from the Ghost Pokemon's eyes. Silver couldn't think of anything else to do; Gengar couldn't do Hypnosis, or he'd get hammered by Hydro Pump. Thus he couldn't do Dream Eater either. So he was stuck with Night Shade and Shadow Ball, and he was already doing one of them. "Gengar, Shadow Ball down the middle! That Dream Eater powered you up!" he cried, and Gengar tossed a larger, crackling orb at Blastoise as he channelled most of his power into protecting himself with Night Shade. Gone was the grin; it was replaced by gritted teeth that showed just how dangerous the situation was, and how one distraction could prove to be the end of him.

"Blastoise, Withdraw!" Red said, and Blastoise retracted into his shell yet again, weathering the Shadow Ball easily. Before Silver could give any more commands to the panting Gengar, Red said triumphantly, "Quick, Hydro Pump, whilst they least expect it!" Blastoise hurtled forwards within his shell, spinning around and spraying jets of water from each hole as he did so. This time, Gengar was caught completely unprepared. First he was battered by the surrounding wall of water, that threatened to drown him or knock him out, then the shell of Blastoise himself smashed into him. Silver barely stopped himself looking away as the resounding thump echoed through the stadium. Blastoise stopped his Hydro Pump and emerged cautiously, to see that Gengar was splayed out unconscious on the floor. He roared with victory and beat his shell with his fists before Red returned him. "Good battle, Blastoise. Gengar was good too," he added.

"Thanks. Gengar, return. That Blastoise of yours is really powerful, and I can tell that you've been together for a long time. You were perfectly in sync with that last attack," Silver replied truthfully. Red smiled.

"You flatter me with your kind remarks. But on with the battle. You must realise that if you win this battle, we go onto the second round, and if I win this battle I keep my title of Champion," he warned.

"So basically for me it's do or die," Silver summarised, and Red laughed.

"If you want to put it like that. Alakazam, I choose you!" The Psychic Pokemon emerged, looking as grim as ever as it gripped its two spoons. Silver almost felt light-headed with relief. Alakazam was a Psychic Pokemon. And who did he have left? Umbreon. Who was invulnerable to Psychic attacks.

"Umbreon, let's fight our way into the second round!" Umbreon emerged proudly, and looked ready for battle, his tail swishing back and forth.

"Oh no! A Dark type... I should have seen this coming, I suppose. Do your best, Alakazam," Red said, disheartened. Silver's feeling of adrenaline increased. Red knew he couldn't win. They were going onto the second round! But that was no reason to get complacent. Perhaps Alakazam knew some non-Psychic moves that could defeat Umbreon.

"Umbreon, start things off with a Bite!" Silver said, and Umbreon charged forwards, teeth glinting.

"Alakazam, Reflect!" Red countered, and a thin pane of what looked like glass appeared in front of Alakazam, a tough barrier to penetrate.

"Change of plan, Umbreon! Faint Attack!" Umbreon continued to run, but just before he impacted with the Reflect he disappeared. A split-second later he reappeared behind Alakazam, and slammed into him from behind, pinning him up against his own barrier. "Yes! Now, Bite! Go for the spoons!" Silver cried.

"Alakazam, Psybeam!" Red said hopelessly, and a pure beam of mental power blasted from Alakazam's crossed spoons. Against any other foe, it would have done major damage. But not Umbreon. The Dark Pokemon shook off its power almost disdainfully, and grabbed one of Alakzam's spoons in his teeth, wrenching it out of the weak hand of its owner before tossing it away. Alakazam fell backwards, stunned, as a focus for its power was ripped away from it, making it easier from Umbreon to pry the other one loose and discard that too.

"Perfect! Now, finish him off with a Quick Attack!" Alakazam stumbled forwards, and at that point Umbreon charged in, slamming him up against his own barrier again with terrible force.

"Alakazam, return. Umbreon was the one foe we could never defeat; I'm sure your Psybeam could have beaten any one of Silver's other Pokemon," Alakazam gave a weak moan of thanks before being recalled, along with his spoons.

"Brilliant, Umbreon! You were absolutely fantastic. I can't fault you," Silver said proudly, and Umbreon rubbed against his leg happily before being returned.

"Well," said Red, looking at Silver with a curious expression on his face. "I'll see you again in a few hours. Take the time to rest all of your Pokemon; tell the attendant at the desk that I've allowed you access to the medical supplies. Then we'll reconvene for round two; Politoed, Typhlosion and Umbreon for you, Blastoise, Nidoking and Dragonite for me. Three random one-on-one battles," Red extended his hand to shake, and Silver took it before leaving. He walked as inconspicuously as he could towards the attendant's desk, not wanting to rouse the attention of his supporters outside. He felt in an odd mood; he only wanted to be with his Pokemon. They had come out of the battle well, although Red was a fantastically powerful opponent. Like the Champion had said, if Silver hadn't got Umbreon against Alakazam, the battle may have turned out very differently. The attendant led him to the room of medical supplies; special potions, smelling salts, food, and other healing implements. He released all of his Pokemon and set about curing their various injuries and ailments, talking to them individually and complimenting them on how hard they battled. The time flew by, but luckily his Pokegear's alarm, which he had set beforehand, chimed loudly, alerting him to the fact that it would soon be time to battle again. Fortunately, all of his Pokemon had been healed, and Politoed, Umbreon and Typhlosion all looked ready and willing for battle. He left the medical room and ascended the official-looking steps for what would be the last time. It was time for round two.


	38. Chapter 38

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon (unfortunately).

**Silver's Adventure**

**Chapter 38**

"Are you ready to begin?" Red asked politely. It was time for round two; three one-on-one Pokemon battles with randomly-picked Pokemon. Silver had Politoed, Typhlosion and Umbreon to pick out of, and Red had the formidable team of Nidoking, Blastoise and Dragonite. It would all be down to luck and skill as to who won; whether Silver would walk away as a Champion, or whether Red would fight off yet another challenger.

"Yes. I'm ready," Silver managed, his mouth dry. He had managed to sneak back up the official-looking stairs without being noticed by his supporters, and his three eligible Pokeballs were at his belt. The other three waited at the sidelines, silent cheerleaders for the coming conflict.

"Then let's begin. Pokeball, go!" Red cried, hurling his chosen Pokeball into the arena.

"Pokeball, go!" Silver repeated, and from his Pokeball emerged Politoed. Facing him was Nidoking. Silver punched the air in relief and happiness; Politoed was super-effective against Nidoking, who was a half Ground type, so it was the best situation he could have hoped for.

"Nidoking, we'll have to be careful here. Politoed has the advantage, and he won't just stand still like Wobbuffet," Red warned his Pokemon.

"Let's make this a winning start, right, Politoed?" Silver said, and Politoed raised his clenched fist. The two Trainers and their Pokemon stood silently for a few moments, waiting for their opponent to make the first move, and suddenly they both cried out at once.

"Nidoking, Poison Sting!"

"Politoed, Waterfall!" Politoed boosted himself high into the air with a jet of pressurised water, then started his descent, a swirling globe of water surrounding him. Nidoking's horn was glowing as he peppered the falling Politoed with a rain of Poison Stings, although none seemed to be getting through to the frog-like Pokemon.

"This isn't working... Nidoking, get ready to use Thrash!" Nidoking stood firm, glaring up at the approaching Politoed unblinkingly as his tail flexed.

"Be on your guard, Politoed! Hit home with your Waterfall and you'll be fine!" Silver countered, but whether Politoed heard him through his watery shield he didn't know. All of a sudden, Politoed slammed down onto Nidoking; a dead-on hit that hammered the muscular creature with a wave of water as well as Politoed's own blows. However, Nidoking's tail whipped around, and caught Politoed full across the chest with incredible power. Politoed hurtled backwards like a booted football, rolling head-over-heels for a few seconds as he landed before stopping dead. Nidoking himself certainly hadn't escaped unharmed, either; the Waterfall had done more damage than he had expected, and although he looked ready for battle again he had clearly been hurt. "Politoed, can you get up?" Silver asked concernedly; the Thrash really had hit hard. Politoed groaned and slowly got to his feet, clutching his chest for a few seconds before standing firm again, looking determined.

"Nidoking, keep it up!" Red encouraged, and Nidoking launched into a berserker charge as he continued his Thrash.

"Politoed, he's not in control of himself anymore! Hit him with a Surf!" Silver said confidently, and Politoed started to prepare his attack, spitting out a continuous stream of water to mould into a crushing wave. He rode atop the crest as it took form, and it flooded forwards to meet Nidoking's charge, roiling and churning as it spat out droplets of foam. In the centre of the battle-field, the two attacks collided with incredible force; for a moment it looked as if Nidoking was going to be swept away and defeated by Surf, but he managed to keep his footing despite the throbbing currents that pounded him. His tail whipped up through the water and slammed into Politoed again, launching him several feet away. The wave dissipated quickly, and Nidoking's huge feet threw up droplets of water as they splashed through it to attack Politoed. Politoed opened his eyes to see the monstrous beast standing above him, and the creature's tail slammed down in a direct hit, pounding Politoed into the dirt. Nidoking brought his tail back for another strike, but misjudged it badly and ended up striking himself; he stumbled backwards and roared in pain. "Politoed, get up! Nidoking's confused!" Silver pleaded, and Politoed peeled himself up from the floor to stand wobbling before his foe, who was still struggling to focus on him through his small, glinting eyes.

"Nidoking, Strength!" Red cried, and Nidoking lumbered forwards, grabbing Politoed in a bear hug.

"Politoed, quickly! Waterfall!" Silver ordered, and Politoed just managed to twist around in Nidoking's crushing grip to aim a blast of water at the ground. Both Politoed and the Nidoking that gripped him were lifted high up into the air, Politoed spraying water and Nidoking crushing and smashing with his arms and tail. For a moment they seemed to be suspended in mid-air, battling grimly for dear life against their foes, before toppling back down to earth. Politoed took his chance to use Nidoking's great weight against him, and Nidoking was on the bottom as they crashed in for a thrashing, water-spraying, dust-clouding landing that shook the battle-field floor. When the dust cleared, Politoed was staggering back to Silver, and Nidoking was dragging himself back to Red. Both were badly injured by the last duel, but both were unwilling to give up. Their Trainers stayed silent for a few moments, allowing their Pokemon to regain their breath.

"OK, Nidoking?" Red asked, and Nidoking roared in readiness, although it was weak compared to his previous efforts.

"What about you, Politoed?" Politoed raised his trembling fist, and both Trainers knew that the battle wouldn't be over until one Pokemon had truly and irrevocably defeated the other.

"Nidoking, use Earthquake!" Red said quickly, and Nidoking leapt into the air before landing with an ear-splitting crack; huge, dangerous shockwaves rolled from the point of impact towards Politoed.

"Politoed, Waterfall yourself up out of the way!" Silver said, and Politoed launched himself up into the air with a spray of water, allowing the shockwaves to pass harmlessly underneath. Silver was uncannily reminded of the time when Poliwag battled Steelix in Olivine City, but snapped himself out of reminisces quickly; he had to focus if he wanted to win.

"Nidoking, we expected that, didn't we? Poison Sting Politoed before he gets his shield up!" Red said, and a blast of Poison Stings burst from Nidoking's horn, aimed directly at Politoed. Politoed just managed to get up a rudimentary water shield in time, but several stings penetrated, and hit quite hard. When Politoed landed in front of Silver, his attack having been stopped, Silver could tell that something was wrong. Politoed's breathing was harsh and more ragged than usual, and it looked like he was having trouble focusing. "Yes! We Poisoned him, Nidoking! Way to go!" Red cried, and Nidoking roared again, stronger this time.

"Politoed, can you hear me? Are you OK to battle?" Silver asked anxiously, and Politoed responded with a weak,

"Poli," Then he straightened up slightly and faced Nidoking again, willing to fight until the very end.

"Good work, Politoed! You're being really brave! Let's try a more subtle attack with Hypnosis," Silver encouraged, and Politoed started to send out mental waves from his rippling stomach. They were, however, weak and disjointed, and washed harmlessly over Nidoking. "OK, why don't we try another Surf?" Silver said kindly, but Politoed shook his head and gritted his teeth. Silver could tell that Politoed wanted to pull of the Hypnosis for his master. "You can do it, Politoed!" he yelled, but if Politoed heard through his intensely focused state, he gave no indication of it.

"Nidoking, he's trying too hard. We can finish this here and now with a Horn Drill," Red said excitedly, and Nidoking braced himself in position, his horn twirling fast and faster as he concentrated on Politoed. A step to the left, an inch to the right... soon he was dead on. With a ferocious roar, he began to pound towards Politoed dangerously. Politoed was sweating as he amassed the Psychic power necessary for Hypnosis, concentrating as hard as he could to swamp Nidoking in a wave of sleep-inducing rays that would win him the battle. Nidoking thundered closer and closer, and still Politoed didn't move, concentrating solely on his Hypnosis and nothing else.

"Politoed, dodge!" Silver screamed, but Politoed ignored him as Psychic waves surged out of his stomach towards Nidoking. All of a sudden, everything was in fast forward rather than slow motion. Nidoking was slowing down, his eyes drooping, but he was still on course to slam into Politoed; Politoed, at the last available second it seemed to Silver, dodged an inch to the right, slipping away from Nidoking's horn; then the frog Pokemon grabbed one of the many spikes on Nidoking's back, using it to swing himself onto his foe's shoulders, before unleashing a powerful blast of water from his wide open mouth. Nidoking was forced to the ground, overcome by the blow and the Hypnosis, and Politoed continued to hammer him with water until he had well and truly fainted. Politoed was then wracked with violent spasms, and keeled over himself, flat out and dead to the world. Silver looked questioningly at Red.

"Politoed still won. Even though Nidoking's poison eventually took him down, it was after Nidoking fainted. It's round one to you. Nidoking, return, you were good. Your Poison especially was brilliant,"

"Politoed, return. You won it for me, buddy. One more victory, and I'll be the Champion, and it's all thanks to you," Silver recalled the fainted Politoed and clipped his Pokeball to his belt, grabbing the next one along.

"Ready for the second round? Go, Pokeball!" Red hurled his next Pokemon into the fray.

"I choose you... er... whoever you are!" Silver said, releasing his own warrior. It was Umbreon, and he was squared off against Dragonite. Red shook his head.

"Oh, Dragonite... It looks like your powers aren't going to be needed to their fullness today, my friend. Don't get me wrong, Umbreon and Noctowl are both very good Pokemon, but they need raw power to beat you. Agility and intelligence can only get you so far in a match like this,"

"Stay with me, Umbreon. Take down Dragonite, and we'll be the Champions. Just think, you and me will be recorded in the Hall of Fame forever," Silver encouraged Umbreon, but he knew it didn't look good. Any of his Pokemon would have struggled against Dragonite, but Umbreon wasn't top of the list of who he would have chosen to face the mighty Dragon.

"Dragonite, start things off with a Slam!" Red ordered, and Dragonite darted in, his tail ready to slam into Umbreon with terrifying force.

"Umbreon, stay where you are!" Silver cried, and Umbreon stood silently in place as the behemoth flew towards him. "Now, Faint Attack!" A second before the tail was going to slam into him Umbreon disappeared, and Dragonite was caught off-guard.

"Dragonite, fly upwards! Try to get out of range!" Red ordered, and Dragonite flapped his tiny wings and was instantly high in the air. This was no protection from Faint Attack, however; Umbreon appeared in mid-air behind him, and rammed him in the back.

"Quick! Bite Dragonite's tail to stop your fall!" Silver cried, and as Umbreon hurtled towards the ground his teeth snapping shut on the tip of Dragonite's tail. Dragonite let out a cry of pain. "See? Nothing's impossible if we set our mind to it!"

"Impossible, no. Nothing's impossible where Pokemon are concerned. But improbable? Highly, I'm afraid. Dragonite, Slam!" Dragonite dropped down to the floor with a thud and brought his tail up, ready to slam Umbreon onto the ground and dislodge him. Umbreon, however, was quick-thinking, and let go of the tail just as it whipped back down, landing gracefully behind his foe.

"Good, Umbreon! Now, Quick Attack!" Umbreon darted in and took Dragonite between the shoulder blades, sending him stumbling forwards as his black and yellow foe ducked away again lithely. Red smiled.

"This could turn out to be interesting after all. Dragonite, Blizzard, behind you!" Red's words filled Silver with new heart; perhaps there was a chance they could win after all!

"Umbreon, Faint Attack!" he said firmly, and Umbreon vanished just as the Blizzard roared into life.

"Cover the field with a swirling Blizzard, Dragonite! Use that power I know you have!" Red ordered, and Dragonite took in a deep breath, filling his mighty lungs, before unleashing the coldest, hugest Blizzard Silver had ever seen, enveloping the entire field in a swirling, biting wind filled with lumps of ice the size of Silver's fist. However, despite its huge size and undeniable power, Dragonite kept it firmly under control, so it didn't touch either Red or Silver. Umbreon waited for a few seconds before realising it was hopeless, and materialised close to Dragonite, hoping to catch him unawares. As he leapt in to Bite again, however, the wind caught him, and he was dragged up into the air; Dragonite focused the Blizzard on that spot, and instantly massive chunks of ice sped towards Umbreon, battering and numbing him, before the Dragon Pokemon let it die down. When Umbreon fell to the floor, he had been encased in ice, like a fly stuck in amber.

"Umbreon, try and break free!" Silver ordered, but Umbreon was completely frozen and couldn't move a muscle.

"He isn't going anywhere, Dragonite. Hit him with a Hyper Beam," Red said, and Dragonite hovered above Umbreon, gathering power. Eventually, as Umbreon failed to move at all despite Silver's constant stream of encouragement, the Hyper Beam was unleashed with a glow of orange power. It lanced down from Dragonite's mouth and smashed directly onto the frozen Umbreon. There was a flash of light and a shattering noise as the Hyper Beam hit home; Dragonite fluttered to the floor to regain his breath, but Umbreon was in no fit state to even get up, never mind fight back.

"Umbreon, return. You did really well, considering. You were just unlucky to go up against Dragonite," Silver said, putting the Pokeball on his belt.

"Dragonite, come back. Another flawless battle; well done. Well, here we are. The final battle. The decider," Red said with a smile. Silver only barely managed to return it, as he was feeling sick with nerves. He knew which Pokemon were left. Blastoise and Typhlosion. Red would have a type advantage in the final battle, and if Silver lost, his dream of becoming Champion was over for a whole year. "Blastoise, go! Let's finish this!" The turtle Pokemon appeared with a roar, beating his fists against his shell again.

"T... Typhlosion, go!" Silver stuttered, releasing his own Pokemon. Typhlosion reared up and bellowed his own defiant challenge, his neck-flames hissing into life, and Silver felt some confidence return. Typhlosion had never let him down yet, and never would.

"How poetic. Our two Starter Pokemon against each other in the deciding battle," Red said wistfully, and Silver knew that Crystal would appreciate it too. But here and now, it was him and Typhlosion, and nobody else. They would have to become one like never before if they wanted to have a chance. "Blastoise, get ready for a Skull Bash!" Red said, and Blastoise lowered his head. Silver felt a jolt in his stomach; the battle had begun. Typhlosion was depending on him to give good orders which he would do his best to pull off, and he was determined not to let the Pokemon down.

"Typhlosion, stay where you are. Brace yourself for a hefty impact," he said, and Typhlosion set his legs wide apart, digging his feet into the ground as Blastoise rumbled towards him. The turtle Pokemon sharply lowered his head and sped up a metre or two away from Typhlosion, launching himself into the ramming attack with all the strength at his disposal. "Typhlosion, Strength!" Silver cried, and Typhlosion extended his paws, setting his arms as straight as possible as he braced himself for the blow. With a massive wham, the two juggernauts connected; Blastoise's head had rammed into Typhlosion's stomach with the force of a runaway train, but Typhlosion had managed to deflect a lot of the impact by pushing his paws against Blastoise's shoulders. As Blastoise recoiled, ready for more commands, Typhlosion lunged forwards and wrapped his arms around Blastoise's chest before lifting him off the ground with sheer and utter strength and willpower. Blastoise's legs wiggled comically as they left contact with the ground, and Typhlosion bellowed in a mixture of pain and exhilaration as he lifted the turtle Pokemon up further and further.

"Blastoise, Bite!" Red cried, and Blastoise managed to fasten his horned jaws around Typhlosion's neck as he was lifted upwards. Typhlosion gave a choked snarl of pain and faltered slightly.

"Typhlosion, your neck-flames! Make them as hot as you can!" Silver reacted, and the ruff burst into more power than before, glowing white hot as Typhlosion struggled to lift Blastoise, resist the pain and power the flames all at once. Blastoise gave a grunt of pain as he was momentarily burned and blinded by the fire, and Typhlosion took his chance as the jaws loosened. Bringing Blastoise up above his head, he slammed the shelled creature down with all of his might, impacting so hard with the battle-field that cracks spread from the point of collision. Silver and Red were both thrown off their feet, but quickly scrambled back up to assess the state of play. Typhlosion was clearly tired out from the powerful attack, and Blastoise was clearly rattled by its strength and power, but both looked more than ready to keep fighting. "Typhlosion, Flamethrower!" Silver ordered.

"Blastoise, Withdraw!" Red countered, and Blastoise's shell was wrapped in a coat of swirling fire that was blasted from Typhlosion's mouth in a continuous wave.

"Typhlosion, stop! It isn't working!" Silver said, and the flames died down. Blastoise's shell was steaming, but he emerged none the worse for wear.

"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" Red cried the order that Silver was dreading.

"Typhlosion, dodge it with Quick Attack!" he said, and Typhlosion darted around, easily a match for Blastoise's pinpoint accuracy and raw power as the water jets just missed him time and again. What was more, he was drawing closer and closer to Blastoise, a trail glowing behind him. "Now, Quick Attack against Blastoise!" Typhlosion changed course and hurtled towards Blastoise.

"Withdraw!" Red just managed to cry in time, and Typhlosion only just slowed himself down in time so that the impact with Blastoise's unfeeling shell wasn't too painful. "Typhlosion's reeling! Hit him with a Hydro Pump!" Water jetted out of the holes in Blastoise's shell as Red hoped to capitalise on Typholsion's prime position and failed attack.

"Typhlosion, jump! Land on Blastoise's shell!" Silver said, feeling that this time at least he had caught Red unawares. Typhlosion couldn't be hit by Hydro Pump on top of his opponent's shell, and it was a great place to launch attacks from. The Fire Pokemon leapt out of the way of one blast, rolled beneath another and took his chance to jump; for a moment it looked as if he was about to slip off and be struck by a water jet, but he managed to cling on somehow until he had dragged himself to the centre of Blastoise's shell.

"A cunning move. Blastoise, spin around as fast as you can!" Blastoise began to rotate beneath Typhlosion, still sending out jets of water that threatened to catch him when he fell off. Typhlosion's grip got weaker and weaker as Blastoise span faster, and any minute he was going to be pitched off and doused. Unless Silver could help it, of course.

"Typhlosion, get your hand into one of the holes!" he cried, and Typhlosion managed to grab the rim of an opening where Blastoise's left leg emerged from. "Good! Now, use Strength to flip Blastoise over!" Typhlosion leant back and pulled with all of his might, wrenching on the rock-hard rim of the opening as water sprinkled around him and Blastoise span crazily beneath him. With one last tug, he managed to tilt Blastoise slightly off the ground, and his spin went out of control. It was then that Typhlosion was hurled loose, but after a rough landing he got straight back up again. Blastoise was also on his feet, having emerged looking angry and powerful, ready for yet another bout. "Back to square one," Silver said, and Red smiled.

"The best place to be. Blastoise, try another Skull Bash, but be wary of Typhlosion's Strength this time," he said; Blastoise responded by lumbering forwards, his hard head lowered as he prepared to head-butt Typhlosion as hard as possible.

"Stay where you are again," Silver said, hoping that Red would believe that Typhlosion was going to use Strength again. Typhlosion geared up for another impact, snarling as Blastoise thundered ever-closer. "Now, Quick Attack out of the way!" Typhlosion dropped to all fours and dodged Blastoise's clumsy Skull Bash in a streak of light, before changing course and slamming into him from behind. Blastoise was knocked forwards onto his belly, not quite knowing what had happened. "Great! Now, Flamethrower!" Typhlosion breathed hissing flames over Blastoise before he could retract his limbs, pouring all of his power into the move as his mouth opened wider and wider.

"Blastoise, Withdraw!" Red cried, and Blastoise retracted everything into his shell again, protecting him from further harm.

"Just what I expected! Now, send him back to Red with another Strength!" Silver said triumphantly, and this time Typhlosion dealt a bone-crushing punch to Blastoise's shell, sending it hurtling back towards his Trainer. It stopped a metre short of Red, luckily, who stroked Blastoise's shell.

"Are you OK to battle?" he asked softly, and Blastoise emerged with a bellow of determination. He had been blackened by the Flamethrower, but his shell had protected him from a lot of harm, and he lumbered back onto the battle-field as if nothing had happened. "Skull Bash! This time give it all you've got, and ignore Typhlosion's Strength! If he dodges, Withdraw straight away!" Red ordered, and Blastoise started up his charge again, noting Typhlosion's position before rumbling towards him on his thick, powerful legs.

"This is it, Typhlosion! Use Strength, and put every ounce of muscle you possess into it! Pull this off, and we'll be the Champions!" Silver encouraged, and Typhlosion stood firm with a loud roar as his neck-flames spat sparks everywhere. In the very centre of the field, the two massive, powerful Pokemon, the pride and joy of their Trainers as well as their oldest companions, smashed into each other with mind-numbing force. Their collision was so powerful that it threw up a concealing cloud of dust, and Silver and Red were restless as they waited for it to die down; who had won? Typhlosion or Blastoise? Who would walk away the Champion? When the dust settled, each Trainer took in a breath. The two Pokemon were still standing less than a metre away from each other, and periodically they were striking each other with punches. Both looked worn out and beaten, but they delivered their own smashing blows then waited for retaliation unflinchingly. It was one of those moments when the Trainers realised that Pokemon could be just like people, but they could also be mysterious. Both creatures knew what was at stake, but they merely stood there, landing crippling blows on each other but making no attempt to dodge. It was a test of resilience in its purest form; a 'tit for tat' slugging match in which they pitted all of their reserves against each other. Both Trainers were silent for a second as they took in the scene, a scene which they would never forget. Both Pokemon respected the other, but neither were going to go down any time soon. Whenever it looked like one of them was going to fall back in defeat, they drew on reserves deep within themselves and continued the battle on guts alone. Their blows grew slower and slower, and weaker and weaker, as they continued to pummel each other. But they were still servants of their masters, and responded when the order was given.

"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" Red cried, and Silver looked at him as if he was from another world. What was he saying? The Pokemon were having their own private battle. They had no say in it whatsoever. But Silver was too entranced to see that whatever was happening, it was still a Pokemon battle. Blastoise stumbled backwards, and for a wonderful moment, Silver thought they had won. But with agonising slowness, two cannons emerged from Blastoise's shoulders. A second later, two high-impact jets of water struck Typhlosion from point-blank range. The Fire Pokemon was hurled backwards, his neck-flames long since dead, and he landed with a sickeningly final thump on the floor. He tried to get up once, then snarled at Blastoise as if to say,

"We'll call it a draw," And then he fainted. Typhlosion had lost. It was over. The reality crashed back onto Silver like a ton of bricks. Red was the victor. After coming so close, after travelling all around the world and battling not only the eight Gym Leaders but Team Rocket and the Elite Four as well, he had failed at literally the final hurdle. This battle could have either propelled him to the title of Champion or turned his victory to sickening ashes. He was only vaguely aware of Red walking over.

"Silver... I'm sorry. You battled well. Incredibly well, in fact. You could easily have won, but you forgot it was a Pokemon battle, not a test of strength. Your Pokemon are a team to be proud of nonetheless, and you deserve to do well in the future," Red said softly, touching Silver on the shoulder. Eventually Silver coaxed his mouth into movement.

"Typhlosion... return. You were beyond perfect. You were incredible. Victory was this close, and if it wasn't for me we could have claimed it. It was my fault, not yours. So have a nice rest. Well done, Red. You were right, it was my fault I lost. I was just too caught up in the moment, and as I learned against Koga, the guy who lets his emotions rule him in battle is more often than not the loser. You... you're an inspiration," Silver suddenly felt stronger as he admitted it, and continued with renewed vigour. "I'll be back in a year, don't you worry. I promise I'll be back and challenge you again. Just don't lose before then, OK? I don't want to come back here after a year of hard training to see that there's a new Champion in town that's too easy to beat," Red laughed.

"Don't think I'll be wasting the next year, either. You've taught me that I still need to keep training, keep fighting, or risk losing it all to a dark horse like you. Goodbye, Silver. And I truly wish you good luck; you deserve it after all the hard work you've obviously put in," Once again Silver was reminded of Crystal, and he turned to leave after shaking Red's hand.

"I'll put double the workload in, in time for next year," he promised, and Red gave him a thumbs-up before leaving through the other door. Silver walked slowly down the official-looking steps, his adrenaline quickly deserting him. For the first time, he had lost. He had often come close, but now he had truly been defeated by the better Trainer. How could he face his supporters now? He avoided the attendant behind the desk and exited the League Headquarters, walking over to where he could see his fans, along with two others; on closer inspection, DJ Mary from Goldenrod Radio Tower and a guy with a camera. What were they doing here? He felt hesitant about approaching, but the two of them didn't look like they were going to leave any time soon, so he walked over, each step filling him with dread. Annoying, DJ Mary and the cameraman were the first to leap upon him.

"So, challenger, did you win? Is there a new Champion, by the name of Silver, from New Bark Town?" she asked excitedly, holding the microphone out to him.

"No... no, I got beaten in the final battle. But I feel OK about it. Red showed me that there's still room for improvement. I'm not unbeatable, and I can always get stronger," he said reflectively.

"Stirring words. Once again the formidable Champion of almost four years has triumphed. Well, that's all from us here at the Pokemon League, anyway, so... yes?" DJ Mary said, looking impatiently at Silver as he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Can I just say one more thing? I'd like to apologise to a boy called Gold, who I've known for quite a long time. I'm sorry, Gold. I was really, really wrong to do what I did, and I can only hope you can forgive me," he said, looking directly into the camera before giving the 'V for Victory' sign and leaving DJ Mary to speak with the cameraman as he walked over to his supporters. They watched him in apprehensive silence before he smiled wanly.

"Oh, Silver... oh, my baby boy, you didn't have to win. You showed everyone you're a first-class Pokemon Trainer. I love you so much, come here..." Anna gushed tearfully, pulling Silver into a tight hug, which he returned gratefully. Togetic gave a quiet trill by Silver's ear, and he suddenly felt better. His mother released him and he walked over to the side of the mountain, where there was a perfect view of distant Kanto beyond. His supporters joined him as Togetic fluttered onto his shoulder.

"That's my new challenge. Kanto. Crystal, are you coming?" he said decisively.

"Wild Machamps couldn't drag me away. The solid team of Crystal and Silver, together again!"

"Tyrogue!" Tyrogue punched the air happily.

"How about you, Scott? Ready to guide me through a whole new world?"

"I've never been more ready," Scott said determinedly, and Hypno nodded at Silver as if in support.

"Mum, I love you. I really do. You to, Chikorita. If you want me to come home, I will," Silver added, turning towards his staunchest supporters. Anna was crying, but they were happy tears.

"Of course not. You travel with your friends. I'll save up any money you need back home, and just send word whenever you need any. Just be sure to call me whenever you can," she said.

"Chiko!" Chikorita offered his own support, wrapping Silver in his vines.

"I'll call as often as you want me to. I want to thank you all together for your support. You were there whenever I needed you, and you never let me down. Thank you," he said, pouring as much feeling as he could into the last two words before turning back to look down at Kanto. A whole new world... with whole new challenges. More Trainers to test himself against, more obstacles to overcome. But, with his friends, family and Pokemon behind him, he was feeling more ready than he ever would have believed.

**The End**

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, I really hoped you enjoyed it. 'Silver: The Kanto Adventure' will come in time, but at the minute I'm working on another project. I hope you look out for it and enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing Silver's Adventure. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, as well; it helped me really refine my writing style. At the end there, when Silver's looking out over Kanto, I kind of envisioned the original Pokemon theme in the background, and Silver having flashbacks of his adventures and Pokemon. As this was hard to convert into writing, I thought I'd leave it to your imaginations! Thank you so much again for reading 'Silver's Adventure'.


End file.
